The municipal government of Tanay, Rizal has lifted the temporary ban on outdoor activities in its tourist destinations as it prepares for the Hane Festival 2025 celebration.
The Tanay Tourism Office announced the lifting of the suspension on activities such as swimming, river trekking, mountain climbing, and other outdoor activities anywhere in the municipality as of Oct. 4.
The town, known as the Home of Adventure and Nature Experience in Rizal Province, is host to numerous tourism destinations, both in upland and lowland villages.
It is preparing for the 15th Hane Festival, an annual tourism event that showcases food, culture, sports, entertainment, and religious happenings every October and November.
Hane Festival Kick Off Party
Tourist drawers include the town’s iconic waterfalls, the Daranak Falls, which boast of cold water and green scenic views that attract hundreds of local and foreign tourists every day.
The office of Mayor Rex Manuel Tanjuatco said the municipality’s upland villages continue to attract more and more tourists including the campsites that offer breathtaking views of the mountains and the so-called “sea of clouds.”
It is during the months of October to mid February that tourists arrivals are at its peak as the weather during the so-called “Ber” months are colder compared to other months.
The re-opening of outdoor activities for tourists came as the town is celebrating its “15th Hane Festival,” a series of tourism-related events that include sports and leisure activities, civic parades, street dancing, food festivals, and church related activities, among others.
Part of the local festival that culminates in November, is the Sikaran Competition happening on November 16 at Tanay Gymnasium with various competitors from various places in the country vying for medals in several categories.
Hane Festival Sikaran Competition
Sikaran is a native martial arts sport from Tanay and Baras, Rizal that focuses mainly on powerful foot techniques for combat during the Spanish era. The practice among rice farmers during that time as a pastime activity has evolved eventually into a sport.
In Tanay, Master Crisanto Cuevas, secretary general of Global Sikaran Federation and owner of Raven Sikaran Gymnasiums in the municipality, continue to hone young and adult athletes into becoming world class Sikaran players.
Municipal Administrator Jeff Pino told the Manila Bulletin that promoting the town’s native sports such as Sikaran has been the advocacy of the local government of Tanay even during the time of former Mayor Rafael “Lito” Tanjuatco, as the municipal government believes in the skills of the youth of Tanay in the field of martial arts.
Interested competitors in the Sikaran event may contact The Raven Sikaran Martial Arts Inc. at telephone number, 0975-721-0551 for details or the municipal government.