City Hall plans Dinagyang fixes amid public criticism

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Fresh from what Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu described as “one of the most successful” celebrations, the city government is already planning changes and improvements for the 2027 Dinagyang Festival.

City Councilor Rex Marcus Sarabia said Tuesday, Jan. 27, that the mayor had agreed to return the judging areas for Dinagyang competitions to the City Proper district.

“This is democracy, and the leaders in the city, we listen to the sentiments of the public […] This is a celebration for the people, and by the people. Whatever the public wants, we listen, and we follow,” Sarabia said in an interview Wednesday.

He noted that one of the most controversial decisions this year was moving a judging area to the Iloilo Sports Complex – a shift that disrupted tradition and dispersed the festivities.

“There are a lot of realizations that we can improve,” he added.

Among the proposed improvements is subsidizing rental fees for food stalls to help lower the cost of goods for festivalgoers.

Other plans include bringing back banderitas and flaglets along city streets, which will be recycled and reused annually.

The city is also considering expanding street-based programs and performances to enhance public engagement.

Additional measures under review include installing more handwashing stations and portable toilets, as well as opening government buildings for public access to comfort rooms.

“There will be more improvements. This is an ongoing discussion. Even the mayor said that we will plan ahead, as early as February,” Sarabia said.

He thanked the public for its feedback, saying that criticism helped identify areas for improvement and contributed to the festival’s overall success.

Sarabia also defended the Iloilo Festivals Foundation Inc. (IFFI) following complaints over the festival’s organization, with some critics calling it the “worst ever.”

“There are a lot of aspects in the Dinagyang performance. There are a lot of events. It does not fall alone in the judging areas and banderitas that we can measure and say the IFFI’s performance is lousy,” he said.

He pointed out that crowd control significantly improved this year, noting the absence of stampedes, gang-related violence, terror threats, or major crimes.

“Overall, IFFI has a good performance. We should not dissolve it because they make it easier for the city government to host Dinagyang every year […] Overall, IFFI did good, but there are some instances that we have to work on,” he added.