Sambuokan Festival in Mati: What to Expect in October

Sambuokan is Mati's biggest festival of the year. It runs through the last week of October and peaks on 29 October, the day Mati became a municipality in 1903. The festival itself started in 2001.

The name comes from the Mandaya word "sambuok", meaning oneness or unity. It's meant to bring together everyone who calls Mati home: the Mandaya and Kalagan, the Muslim communities, and the families who moved here from the Visayas and beyond.

It's on. Proclamation 1475 has made 29 October 2026 a special non-working day in Mati for Sambuokan. The full programme hadn't been published when we wrote this, so watch the City Government of Mati Facebook page for the schedule.

This year matters more than most. The city cancelled the 2025 festival after the twin offshore earthquakes that October, holding only a simple thanksgiving on 29 October, so 2026 is the first full Sambuokan since 2024. Tourism in Mati is back to normal.

Street dancing

The headline event is the street dancing competition. School groups in full costume dance their way through the city streets and finish at the Mati City Park and Baywalk, where thousands of people pack in to watch.

Drum and lyre and performing arts

Drum and lyre corps compete as well, with dance and music performances through the week.

Everything else

Past editions have had a tribes cultural night, an Indigenous Peoples' day, drag and kids' contests, beach volleyball, BMX and skateboarding showdowns, a fair at the baywalk and concerts. The line-up changes every year, so take this as a sense of what to expect rather than a fixed list.

The baywalk is where it all happens. Get there early on the culmination day to claim a spot near the performance area, and bring water, a hat and an umbrella for the sun. Roads in the city centre close for the street dancing, so plan to walk the last stretch.

Hotels in Mati City are a walk or a short tricycle ride from the baywalk, and they fill up fast over festival week, so book early. Staying at Dahican gives you the beach by day and a 10 to 15 minute ride into town for the evening events.

For a sit-down meal in town, Kusina Merced is a Filipino restaurant a short walk from the baywalk, on the corner of Mabini and Bonifacio streets. It's a new listing, so check its hours, especially on festival nights. Out at Dahican, Bawud is an open-air spot for pasta and quesadillas.

Late October is around when Dahican's surf season starts, as the amihan begins to bring bigger waves. Pair the festival with a few days at Dahican Beach, a day island hopping in Pujada Bay and a sunrise walk up the Sleeping Dinosaur.

Pujada Bay boats leave from Pier One in Sitio Batiano, Barangay Tamisan, and your resort or one of Mati's private boat operators can book one. For getting here from Davao City, see the Mati travel guide.

When is the Sambuokan Festival?

The last week of October, built around Mati's founding anniversary on 29 October.

What does Sambuokan mean?

It comes from the Mandaya word "sambuok", meaning oneness or unity.

Is 29 October a holiday in Mati?

Yes, in 2026. Proclamation 1475 declared it a special non-working day in Mati.

Where are the main events held?

Mostly at the Mati City Park and Baywalk, where the street dancing finishes.