The Pintaflores Festival shall be considered as the official festival of the City of San Carlos, Province of Negros Occidental which is being held every 5th of November on the same day of the commemoration of the historic "Al Cinco de Noviembre" which is declared a provincial holiday of Negros Occidental.
The festival must be characterized with a vibrant and festive mood of merrymaking as a thanksgiving for the bountiful blessings of the Almighty to our beloved city and its people.
Hundreds of work animals, mostly carabaos, are led on a parade in the streets of the town every 14th and 15th of May to honor its patron saint. San Isidro Labrador. The carabaos decorated with garland and shaved for the occasion, genuflect or kneel in front of the church. Witness the colorful Carabao Festival and religious activities of the town. On the 14th of May, farmers all over the town pay tribute to their patron saint. San Isidro Labrador, in glorious thanksgiving for a year-long bountiful harvest. The celebration is manifested by hanging all sorts of fruits, candies, food crops and multi-colored kipings on bamboo poles. The affairs is highlighted by kneeling of carabaos in front of the church and the symbolic floats. Every year, a sea of frolicking humanity comes in droves to witness this showcasing inate talents of the carabaos.
Just like any other towns in the province of Bulacan , the town got its name from a tree called "Bukawe" found in abundance during that time in the said place. Bocaue was just a mere barrio of the town of Meycauayan until 1606 when it was made into a town with Reverend Padre Delos Santos as the first parish priest and administrator. Fire destroyed a large part of the town in 1818, but was later rehabilitated gradually during the American regime. The history of Bocaue is not complete without citing the legend of the Holy Cross of Wawa which has a great significance to the residents of this town as to its founding. The celebration of the feast in honor of the Holy Cross has been made a tradition and a yearly affair.
The miraculous image of our Lady of the Rosary, popularly known today as our Lady of Piat, for brevity, was sculptured in Macao, then a colony of Portugal. Presumably, upon the request of the Dominican Missionaries, the image was brought to the Philippines sometime in the year 1604, and placed in Lallo, then the Episcopal See of Nueva Segovia, for the veneration of the people. When the Dominican Missionaries started the Christianization of the Itawes region, they found the natives of a very rebellious character, and they thought it valuable for their work to introduce the devotion to our Lady among the people. Eventually the image was taken to Piat, and erected on a side altar. It was not long when the people felt special manifestations of divine favors through Our Lady.
Also popularly called Bendian, this circle dance of the Benguet of Mountain Province is restaged, keeping true to the dance's context and meaning. Long known as a dance to celebrate the arrival of successful headhunters, the Bendayan has taken a new face. It is part of every Benguet festivity with the circles slowly giving way to other formations and interpretations. Bendian is performed for many reasons. Some of which are to heal a prolong illness, relieve natural calamities such as famine and drought, and to celebrate a bountiful harvest. However, the biggest Bendian is to celebrate a victory in war and a successful headhunt.