Five Filipino festivals bring the glow to ILOmination

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Five festival contingents from different parts of the country are set to illuminate Iloilo City as ILOmination: Festival of Light Festivals and Parade of Lights returns on Jan. 23 as a major highlight of this year’s Dinagyang Festival celebrations.

Confirmed participants include the Pandang Gitab Festival of Oriental Mindoro, the Zamboanga Hermosa Festival from Zamboanga City, the Pavvurulun Afi Festival from Tuguegarao City in Cagayan, the Banaag Festival of Anilao, Iloilo, and local illumination tribes representing Iloilo City.

Adding to the festive atmosphere is a special FEDLAD Lion and Dragon Dance performance by the Iloilo Cultural Federation Inc. in celebration of the upcoming Chinese New Year.

The ILOmination parade will start at Atria, pass through SM City Iloilo, and culminate at the Iloilo Business Park in Megaworld.

The Pandang Gitab Festival honors the Mangyan Indigenous peoples and draws inspiration from the traditional Pandango sa Ilaw folk dance, where performers balance flickering oil lamps, known as tinghoy, or candles, to evoke fishermen’s wives guiding their loved ones safely home from sea.

The Hermosa Festival, also known as Zamboanga La Hermosa Festival or Fiesta Pilar, is Zamboanga City’s premier monthlong celebration honoring the city’s patron saint, Nuestra Señora de la Virgen del Pilar.

The Pavvurulun Afi Festival honors St. Jacinto de Polonia, with “pavvurulun” meaning unity in the Ibanag language and “afi” meaning fire, symbolizing communal warmth through torch parades and fire-lighting rituals rooted in Ybanag traditions of protection and resilience.

Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu said festivalgoers attending the Iloilo Food Festival in the downtown area will also experience added color and spectacle as ILOmination tribes stage a special performance on Saturday evening.

Treñas-Chu said she requested the Iloilo Festivals Foundation Inc. to bring the excitement of ILOmination closer to food festival patrons.

This year’s Iloilo Food Festival will feature a 360-degree setup, with the performance platform positioned at the center and surrounded by food kiosks and activity areas.