Dingayang is Aliwan champion again

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

Iloilo City’s Dinagyang Festival on Saturday clinched its 7th championship title in the Street Dance Competition of the Aliwan Fiesta in Metro Manila for the first time since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020.

The city’s internationally known festival bested other Filipino festivals including, Cebu’s Sinulog Festival (2^nd Place), Guimaras’ Manggahan Festival (3^rd Place), Guiguinto, Bulacan’s Halamanan Festival (4^th Place), and Kadalag-an Festival (5^th Place) of Victorias City, Negros Occidental.

Other participants included the Antipolo Maytime Festival (Antipolo City), Panagbenga Flower Festival (Baguio City), Ayat Festival (La Union), Binabayani Festival (Masinloc, Zambales), and Kangga Festival (Mogpog, Marinduque).

The Dinagyang, which won P1.5 million, contingent was comprised mostly of members of Tribu Parianon of Molo district, who won the Dagyang Sa Barangay competition during the 55th Dinagyang Festival in January 2023.

Their performance reflected the Ilonggos’ devotion to the festival’s patron, the Señor Santo Niño (Infant Jesus), and expresses the locals’ interpretation of stages of love that transcends in families and communities.

They made use of life-size and bigger props carried by dedicated props personnel, who were not allowed under the 2023 rules of the festival competition in the city.

Unlike the 9-minute-long performance in the City Proper streets, the showcase in front of the Aliw Theater in Pasay City only lasted for around 6 minutes based on Aliwan Fiesta’s guidelines.

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas congratulated the delegation in a statement and thanked the private Iloilo Festivals Foundation, Inc. (IFFI) for its effort in bringing the contingent to Metro Manila.

“I congratulate the Iloilo Festivals Foundation, Inc. While you are from the private sector, you have given so much of your time, effort and resources for our celebrations and festivals. To Tribu Parianon, you have brought honor and glory to all Ilonggos. You have the eternal gratitude of all Ilonggos wherever they are. Madamo gid nga salamat sa inyo tanan,” the mayor said.

IFFI Executive Director Joyce Clavecillas told Daily Guardian said that preparations started in April and described the process as “starting from scratch” due to the rule differences between the local festival and the national tilt.

Their spending came from a mix of support from both the city government and the private sector, which was mainly utilized on logistical matters especially transport costs for the delegation members and their props.

Clavecillas said the goal of the festival’s participation was to make a good comeback and sustain, if not exceed the public’s expectations.

“At least we were able to realize our participation in Aliwan Fiesta, so at least we can show to the rest of the country that with the comeback of Aliwan, Dinagyang Festival is also ready to receive them when they come to Iloilo City. It’s a good comeback for Dinagyang for Aliwan Fiesta,” she said in a phone interview.

Clavecillas shared that there was a nervous silence before the announcement of the results at around 1:00 a.m. Sunday.

She also shared that there were cheers and anticipation from the audience, which she cited to have helped to boost the performers’ confidence.

“We were already at the side of the stage together with the rest of the Dinagyang delegation. We saw that there was silence because we couldn’t predict the results. We were confident with the result of the kids but at the end of the day the final [verdict] would be that of the judges,” she narrated.

“Seeing these people at the CCP Complex just to watch the Dinagyang [tribal performance], we were really happy with the people’s reactions and accommodation since our parade and street dance proper. We are really grateful for the warm welcome for the festival,” she added.

The team’s choreographer, Ramil Huyatid, also shared with Daily Guardian that while the team was mainly composed of students from the Iloilo City National High School, they were also joined by ‘other Ilonggos from all walks of life’, including tricycle and ‘sikad’ riders, and construction and Iloilo Fish Port workers.

“It was very hard from the very beginning because this was not a school-based group. It’s really different if our Dinagyang [Festival tribes competition] is coming from the open category, and these are a combination of different tribes in the barangay level,” Huyatid explained.

“It’s really difficult to do a production with different interests. But we came through because with our discipline, passion, faith, and desire to perform and show the country their talents and our [Ilonggo] culture and tradition. That’s why they believed that through their dance, they could share that and entertain everyone,” he added.

Similar to Clavecillas, Huyatid expressed confidence at the time of the competition on Saturday evening but stepped back so as not to pre-empt the judges’ expectations.

“With our performance, looking at the two judging areas, we had [high] hopes of winning, but of course, the decision must be coming from the board of judges. We were just waiting [for the results] and held on to our faith because we believed that we could do it,” he shared.

The Dinagyang Festival has previously won the Aliwan Festival’s street dance competition 6 times (2004, 2010 to 2013, and 2017), and has been one of the top contingents in its participation.

This is also the first time that the annual event, organized by the Manila Broadcasting Corporation in partnership with the Cultural Center of the Philippines, was held since the COVID-19 pandemic upended its holding in 2020, 2021, and 2022.