CEBU CITY, Philippines — What started as a celebration of Tisa’s famous street food drew a massive crowd to Barangay Tisa, Cebu City, as an estimated 7,000 people turned out for the Siomai Festival on Saturday, September 26.
Despite the huge turnout, police reported no major incident during the festivities, according to Cebu Daily News.
The crowd gathered as the annual celebration entered its final stretch, with residents and visitors joining various activities centered on Tisa’s well-known siomai tradition.
The event’s large attendance was consistent with the festival’s growing profile. Earlier this month, SunStar Cebu reported that city councilors described the Siomai sa Tisa Festival as one of Cebu City’s biggest barangay celebrations in terms of attendance and the scale of activities.
FROM LOCAL FOOD TO A MAJOR CEBU EVENT
The Siomai sa Tisa Festival has developed beyond a simple food celebration.
According to SunStar Cebu, the festival traces its roots to 2012, when Barangay Tisa launched the celebration in honor of its patron saint, San Lorenzo Ruiz. It eventually evolved into a larger community event highlighting Tisa’s culinary identity and local culture.
This year’s festival was scheduled from September 18 to 27, giving residents and visitors more than a week of activities.
The festival’s popularity has also attracted commercial participation. Globe, in a September 18 announcement, listed the Siomai Festival in Tisa as one of the Cebu stops for its 917 GDay 2026 community activities, scheduled from September 18 to 27.
CROWD SIZE PUTS FESTIVAL SUPPORT IN SPOTLIGHT
The size of the crowd also comes amid discussions over how much government support should be provided for the celebration.
SunStar Cebu reported earlier this month that Cebu City councilors were seeking an additional P400,000 in assistance for the festival. The request could have raised total city financial assistance from the initially discussed P300,000 to P700,000.
Councilors cited the festival’s size, attendance and expanding lineup of activities when discussing whether the initial allocation was sufficient. The additional funding request was subject to consideration by the mayor’s office.
MORE THAN SIOMAI
The significance of the festival is also being recognized as part of Cebu City’s broader cultural landscape.
A report by The Freeman on September 28 said Cebu City Councilor Jose Lorenzo R. Abellanosa was seeking to institutionalize barangay festivals through a proposed ordinance. The measure would include celebrations such as Tisa’s Siomai Festival, Inayawan’s Puso Festival, Pasil’s Tuslob Buwa Festival, Guadalupe’s Banauan Festival and San Nicolas’ Buwad Festival.
Under the proposal, the city’s Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission and Cebu City Tourism Office would establish a registry and calendar of major barangay festivals, while participating barangays would organize festival committees responsible for planning, logistics and compliance with applicable regulations.
For Tisa, the Siomai Festival represents a combination of food heritage, community identity, religious tradition and local economic activity.
And this year’s reported turnout of around 7,000 people shows just how far the once-local celebration has grown.
With thousands filling the festival area and police reporting no major incident, Tisa once again placed its signature siomai—and its community celebration—firmly in the Cebu spotlight.
