‘FLIP-FLOPPING’: City lifts Dinagyang liquor ban after backlash

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

A flip-flop after two days.

Bowing to pressure from the public and the business sector, Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu has lifted the liquor curfew, bringing a round-the-clock alcohol sales and public drinking during the Dinagyang Festival.

The city mayor said the decision to lift the curfew came after receiving numerous requests from festivalgoers and business groups ahead of one of the country’s largest cultural celebrations.

“We hear you! Sa Dinagyang Festival 2026, there will be no curfew for drinking,” Treñas-Chu said in a statement on Friday, January 23, which was followed by the issuance of an amended executive order.

The revised order states that, to support the local business community, there will be no time restriction on the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages within Iloilo City from January 23 to 26, 2026, covering the major Dinagyang activities.

The move reverses an earlier executive order issued on January 21 that limited alcohol sales and public drinking from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. from January 22 to 26, 2026, as part of heightened safety and security measures for the festival.

In the January 21 order, the restriction covers all types of alcoholic beverages, including beer, wine, spirits, cocktails, and other liquor products sold by establishments across the city.

Initially, Treñas-Chu said the limitation aims to curb alcohol-related incidents amid the expected influx of hundreds of thousands of festivalgoers, tourists, and dignitaries during the week-long Dinagyang celebrations.

Though the order has been amended, the city government reiterated the strict enforcement of existing ordinances, including the liquor ban for minors.

The Business Permits and Licensing Division, Task Force on Morals and Values Formation, and Iloilo City Police Office were authorized to conduct random inspections of bars, restaurants, and other establishments.

As part of the security plan, a total of 7,579 security personnel will secure peace and order for the festival.

Aside from this, 2,823 operational resources have been prepared to support security operations throughout the celebration.

The EO also indicated that the city government has temporarily suspended the issuance of rally permits and banned the display of political slogans, propaganda materials, and political colors during the festival.

Should unauthorized rallies occur, these will be addressed through negotiation by the local government and the police.

Other prohibited acts include flying drones without prior authorization, lighting firecrackers without permits, making bomb or prank jokes, staging political protests disguised as festival activities, and engaging in drunk and abusive behavior in public.