Celebrating Dingle’s Pagdihon: A Cultural and Historical RoadTrip

Text and photos by: Bombette G. Marin

Heading off to Dingle, Iloilo on an unforgettable adventure this semestral vacation is reason enough to celebrate. It would be wise to add its festival to your itinerary if you want to inject some cultural pizzazz to this journey.

Pagdihon Festival is one of the provinces’ most inspiring cultural festivals taking place from October 25-31, 2019. The festival is the highlight of the Dingle’s cultural is about celebrating life. It offers its visitors a glimpse into the heart and soul of the historic town. It provides an interesting look at how Dingleanons embrace its colonial past in a celebratory way.

Adriano Hernandez, a native of Dingle, is a Visayan general and military strategist who secretly organized a rebel movement in Iloilo against Spain and staged the first armed uprising in the whole province in Barrio Lincud in October 28, 1898.

The General is the most revered local historical icon and the Pagdihon Festival honors him, the most elaborate event in the town’s local calendar with parades, music, dancing, and costumes are at the forefront of its week-long festivity, with an abundance of food and drinks.

Themed “Kulturang Dingleanon sa Pagdihon Aton Handurawon,” the festival, now on its 11th year, includes a series of events starting on October 25 (Friday) with One Dance One Music, Float Parade and Competition, Opening Program, Agricultural Fair, Miss Pagdihon and Foam Party; October 26 (Saturday) Street Dancing and Dance-Drama Competition, Invitational SepakTakraw, Alcoholics Night; October 27 (Sunday) Fin Ride, Mountain Bike Competition, Senior Citizens Day, Invitational SepakTakraw, Championship Basketball, Search for Miss Cosmetica.

October 28 (Monday) Cry of Lincud, PagdihonPreggy Summit, Fireworks Display, Teacher’s Night, Live Band. October 29 (Tuesday) Farmers Coop Day, Laro ng Lahi, Cultural Show with the WVSU College of PESCAR, Live Band; October 30 (Wednesday) Mass Church Wedding, Moments with the Mayor, Live Band; October 31 (Thursday) Boy and Girl Scouts Day, Trick or Treat/ Parade of Costumes, Environmental Day Recognition of Stakeholders and Awardees, Horror Night Competition, Awarding, DJ Foam Party and Live Band.

Pagdihon Festival draws people from all over Iloilo to take in the beauty and culture of Dingle. Getting there is an excellent way to immerse yourself in nature and taking in local history. The town offers a plethora of cultural and historic ways to spend your time. Take one of the numerous trails for a hike through its national park before heading into the exciting historic attractions.

Dingle belongs to the Fourth Congressional District of the province and is politically subdivided into 33 barangays over a land area of 7, 750 hectares. It is 37 kilometers away or an hour drive from Iloilo City and is bounded in the northeast by Anilao; northwest by San Enrique; southeast by Pototan and Barotac Nuevo; and southwest by Duenas.

For more information, please contact Municipal Tourism Officer Dane Dizon at 0998-309-1262