Dinagyang Festival is finalist for Philippine LEAF Awards

By Mariela Angella Oladive

While Iloilo City is still reveling in the success of the recently concluded Dinagyang Festival, there’s more reason to cheer as the festival has been named a finalist in the Outstanding Festival Category of the Philippine LEAF Awards: Tertulia at Parangal 2024.

The nomination reaffirms the Dinagyang Festival’s status as one of the country’s dynamic cultural events that attract visitors from far and wide.

Known for its vibrant performances and cultural displays, Dinagyang has been a standout in Philippine festivals. It has bagged numerous awards, including Best Tourism Event by the Association of Tourism Officers in the Philippines (ATOP) for three consecutive years from 2006 to 2008.

The festival’s adaptability was showcased in 2020 when its digital edition won the ATOP’s Best Tourism Event Award.

In 2021, during the challenging times of the pandemic, Dinagyang’s resilience earned it the Grand Winner title at ATOP’s Pearl Awards for Best Tourism Practice.

The streak continued in 2022 with the festival being declared the grand winner of the Best Cultural Festival Award in the City category.

The Philippine LEAF Awards, scheduled on February 8 at the Metropolitan Theater, will recognize one outstanding festival each from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The nomination process, which ran from October 8, 2023, to October 31, 2023, attracted contenders from across the archipelago.

Joining Dinagyang Festival as outstanding finalists in the Visayas region are Bailes de Luces of La Castellana, Negros Occidental, the Sinulog Festival of Cebu province, and the Kalibo Señor Santo Niño Ati-Atihan Festival of Kalibo, Aklan.

These festivals represent the cultural richness and creativity thriving in the Visayan region.

The Philippine LEAF Awards is a prestigious organization committed to acknowledging and celebrating the exceptional accomplishments of Filipino artists in live entertainment, arts, fashion, and festivals. The finalists for the outstanding festival category were revealed on January 11.