Meet More Chances

In San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte December is a month of thanksgiving for
all the blessing received for the whole year celebrated through
festivities. The Damili Festival is an annual event and a month long
celebration of dances, parades, concerts, beauty pageant, popularity
contest, agri-industrial trade fair and exhibits, and sports
competition. The highlights of the celebration is held on the last
week of the month.

The main event of the festival is the Dance Pageantry, wherein a
street dance showdown about the traditional occupation of the town,
damili or terra-cotta pottery is portrayed. It's a way of the locals
to pay tribute to this ancient occupation. The need to revive and
preserve damili, inspired this pageantry and encouraged the local
government to further promote the industry.

Banga or clay pot is one of the main product of pottery in town. It is
an icon of Ilocano heritage. Damili has sustained generations of
families.

The Dance Pageantry portrays the different stages of pottery, which
others call as a scientific presentation. From collecting clay soil to
the last step of pottery which is burning the pot. The jingle used is
an Ilocano song entitled, Agdamdamili reflects the locals character of
humility, industry and love for life despite calamity.

All the barangays participate in  the Street Dance. It is a
competition of colorful costumes, inspired by dresses during the old
times. They use props which are part of everyday life, including clay
pot, farming tools, and farming animals.


Join the people in the next Damili Festival and witness a cultural
heritage of the Ilocanos. For your travel assistance in going to
Ilocos Norte, you may want to read our article, Ilocos Norte :  Travel
Up North.