BEST OF THE BEST: Dinagyang to skip Aliwan 2019

By: Emme Rose Santiagudo

DINAGYANG Festival is the best in the country. Period.

It is for this reason that the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation Inc. (IDFI) will forego its participation in the annual Aliwan Fiesta in Metro Manila.

IDFI president Ramon Cua Locsin said Dinagyang has nothing to prove in Aliwan.

“Kagina may communication nga ginapadala ang Aliwan but I already said nga kon pwede indi na lang kami mag-intra subong because we already have proven to the whole Philippines that Dinagyang is number one,” Locsin said.

Dinagyang Festival is already a Hall of Fame Awardee in the Aliwan Fiesta after bagging the crown in 2004, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014.

The Aliwan Fiesta of Manila Broadcasting Co. is the annual gathering and competition of festivals around the country.

Instead, the IDFI is planning to bring Dinagyang to other provinces and cities through its first Philippine tour.

According to Locsin, they will bring Dinagyang to different festivals in Davao, Bohol, Baguio, Dumaguete in Negros Oriental, and in San Carlos, Negros Occidental.

“Ang aton naman subong is to show the festival to other provinces and cities in line with our theme, ‘Connecting communities through culture and faith.’ Gina-consider namon ang Davao, Bohol, Baguio, Dumaguete, and San Carlos,” he said.

Locsin said they are now preparing for the possible participation of Dinagyang Festival in Baguio’s Panagbenga Festival on March 2, 2019.

“We have already contacted them and that would be March 2 but discussions pa lang na wala pa namon bal-an kon pila ang cost. We are still computing the cost,” he added.

Locsin assured that the nationwide tour will not entail huge spending.

“Indi man magastos pero you know how much we are spending in Aliwan. We are spending more than P3 million,” he said.

Locsin said that they plan to bring around 40-50 participants from the roster of winners of this year’s Dagyang tribes competition.

“Ang malakat sa festival around 40-50, indi tanan man but only the best sang ila mga dancers and representatives. We will try our best na padala ang 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd or kon pwede 4^th runner-up sang Dagyang tribes competition,” he noted.

Tribu Ilonganon of Jalandoni Memorial National High School in Lapuz is the champion of the 2019 Dagyang tribes dance competition.

Ilonganon dethroned the 2018 champion Tribu Panayanon of Iloilo City National High School who was declared as second runner-up.

Meanwhile, the first runner-up is Tribu Paghida-et of La Paz National High School and Tribu Dagatnon of Ramon Avancena National High School copped the third runner-up.

Tribu Salognon of Jaro National High School is fourth runner-up.