City to push through with more ‘modest’ Dinagyang

A more “modest” celebration of the Dinagyang Festival will push through 2021 as the festival takes on the challenge of adapting to the new normal amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

For the first time, the much-anticipated live street dance competition will no longer be encouraged in the upcoming Dinagyang Festival 2021, including other events that could potentially become super spreaders of Covid-19, according to Iloilo Festivals Foundation Inc. (IFFI) president Atty. Jobert Peñaflorida.

Instead, the activities will be presented through different sets of online and offline platforms while taking into consideration the strict implementation of health protocols.

“We have to balance the economy with the safety of the participants and the people. The well-being of Ilonggos will always be our priority,” Peñaflorida said in an interview on Wednesday.

Since October, Peñaflorida said IFFI has been conducting consultative meeting with the stakeholders from public and private sector to brainstorm the staging of Dinagyang Festival 2021.

“We had consultative meeting with our stakeholders. The Iloilo Artists’ Festival Foundation composed of choreographers and musical directors of Dinagyang tribes, Iloilo City Tourism Office, Iloilo Live Alliance, Dinagyang Tribes Committee including the Meetings Incentives Conferences Exhibits (MICE) Alliance presented their recommendations on the holding of the events,” he said.

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Peñaflorida assured that the upcoming celebration will still be entertaining as it will showcase the artistic side of Dinagyang like never before.

“It will show the artistic and creative side of Dinagyang. Indi gihapon magpa-ulihi in terms of previous Dinagyangs but we will do it in a manner na safe aton pumuluyo including participants,” he said.

Peñaflorida said Ilonggos should focus on the essence of the celebration of Dinagyang which is celebration of faith and devotion to Señor Sto. Niño.

“More than anything else, Dinagyang is a celebration of faith and devotion to Senior Santo Nino. Celebrating Dinagyang in whatever form and in whatever medium should be pursued because we would like to celebrate our faith and our spirit as one Ilonggo community,” he said.

Last year, IFFI raised the standards of the annual festival by introducing the first ever Dinagyang 360 Tribes Competition where tribes were challenged to showcase an arena-type or 360-degree performance in the four judging areas.

Aside from the upgraded tribes’ competition, new events were also introduced in Dinagyang 2020.

The first-ever “Dagyang sa Calle Real” which featured nine barangay tribes performing “sadsad” or “merrymaking” in the city streets on Saturday afternoon involved thousands of local and foreign tourists who danced to the beat of the drums.

The historic streets of Calle Real were also illuminated in the first-ever “Ilomination”.

The levelled-up staging of Dinagyang Festival was able to draw 500,000 local and foreign tourists during the festival’s three-day highlight last year, according to Mayor Jerry Treñas. (ERS)