Navotas Day (Pangisdaan Festival) in the Philippines Date in the current year: January 16, 2025

Navotas is a highly urbanized city in Metro Manila (the National Capital Region of the Philippines). Together with Caloocan, Malabon and Valenzuela, it comprises the Northern Manila District, informally known as Camanava.

Navotas used to be part of the town of Malabon, then known as Tambobong. The movement for the separation of two barrios that would form Navotas – Bangkulasi and San Jose de Navotas – began in late 1827. The principales (ruling class) of the barrios petitioned the Spanish colonial government for the separation of the barrios into an independent town because the locals experienced difficulties in getting to the poblacion (administrative center) of Tambobong, which was situated across the river.

Their petition was finally granted on February 16, 1859. The new town was composed of four barrios: San Jose de Navotas, Bangkulasi, Tangos and Tanza. A few months later, the town became a parish with its own church and parochial school.

After the Philippine Revolution and the defeat of the Philippines in the Philippine-American War, Navotas was incorporated into the province of Rizal in 1901. The American administration revised the administrative division of the Philippines, and on October 12, 1903 Navotas was annexed back to Malabon. However, this did not last long as it reverted to an independent municipality on January 16, 1906. The anniversary of the day Navotas regained its municipal status is now celebrated as Navotas Day.

In 1975, President Ferdinand Marcos created the National Capital Region of the Philippines (Metro Manila) consisting of four cities (Manila, Caloocan, Pasay and Quezon City) and thirteen municipalities, including Navotas. Since then, twelve of these municipalities have been transformed into cities.

Navotas was elevated from a municipality to a city on June 24, 2007, when its residents voted in favor of the change in a plebiscite. Today, Navotas is a highly urbanized city with a population of nearly 250,000 people and a thriving economy. It is the largest fishing port in Southeast Asia and the third largest in Asia.

Navotas Day has been celebrated with the Pangisdaan Festival since the early 2000s. The name of the festival is derived from the word isda, which means “fish”, which is not surprising since Navotas is famous for its aquaculture and fishing and has been nicknamed the Fishing Capital of the Philippines and the Commercial Fishing Hub of the Philippines.

The Pangisdaan Festival is a week-long affair that culminates on January 16. It is filled with festive events and activities such as a thanksgiving mass, sports competitions, boat racing and net mending contests, live concerts, street dance contest, beauty pageant, night market, job fair, award ceremonies, clean-up activities, grand parade, fireworks and more.