As the volume of the drumming increases and my ears start to take a beating, it suddenly dawns on me that the chaotic noise is slowly morphing into a harmonious rhythm signifying the celebratory mood of the moment. Soon, I find myself thumping along as the sound reverberates to the farthest distance. A sea of people takes turns dancing enthusiastically on their own.

"This is the Ati-Atihan," I quietly tell myself. No wonder it is considered one of the premier cultural festivals in the Philippines. Wild, euphoric, and entirely unconstrained—no other street party in the country can rival its massive reach in terms of pure excitement.