Pujada Bay Festival: Mati's June Celebration of the Bay

Every June, Mati throws a festival for the water it sits on. The Pujada Bay Festival started in 2004 to celebrate and protect the bay, and it builds up to Citihood Day on 19 June. Along with Sambuokan in October, it's one of the city's two big festivals of the year.

Sambuokan is about Mati's people. This one is about the bay: its islands, reefs, mangroves and sea turtles.

The festival usually runs for about a week in mid-June and ends on Citihood Day, 19 June. Dates and events change each year, so keep an eye on the City Government of Mati Facebook page from May.

The 2026 edition was the 23rd, held alongside Mati's 19th cityhood anniversary. The same month, WaveFest at Dahican on 13 June brought a coastal cleanup, beach volleyball, music and fireworks. Despite the name, it isn't a surf contest.

On the water

Over the years, boat racing and skimboarding have drawn competitors from around the region. Skimboarding is what Mati is known for, thanks to Dahican Beach.

Pageants

In 2022 the festival held its first Queen of Pujada, a pageant built around protecting the bay. The winner wore a pawikan, or sea turtle, costume, a nod to the turtles that nest on Mati's beaches. In 2026 the city added its first Binibining Mati pageant, held at Mayor Francisco G. Rabat Park and Baywalk.

Freediving

Mati has also hosted BAY DEEP MATI, billed as the country's first freediving festival, first held in 2022.

Photo: Amenah555, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Pujada Bay has been a protected landscape and seascape since 1994, with coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves and four islands. The Most Beautiful Bays in the World club has listed it, along with Mati's Mayo and Balete bays.

To see it properly, get on a boat. Island hopping trips leave from Pier One in Sitio Batiano, Barangay Tamisan, and you can book through your resort or one of Mati's private boat operators. Our Pujada Bay guide has the route and costs.

June is one of Mati's wetter stretches, so pack a light rain jacket and keep plans loose. Book rooms early, because the festival and Citihood Day pull in visitors from across Davao Oriental.

Stay in Mati City to be close to the events, or out at Dahican for the beach. In town, Kusina Merced near the baywalk is a good bet for Filipino food, but check its hours, as it's a new listing. For routes from Davao City, see the Mati travel guide.

When is the Pujada Bay Festival?

Every June, ending around Mati's Citihood Day on 19 June. Check the city's announcements for exact dates.

When did the Pujada Bay Festival start?

In 2004, which made 2026 the 23rd edition.

What is the festival about?

Celebrating and protecting Pujada Bay, with water sports, conservation events, pageants and cultural activities.