Iloilo Wins Big at PH Independence Day Parade

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The city and province of Iloilo earned top honors at the 127th Philippine Independence Day celebration in Manila, winning major awards in both the Festival Performance and Historical Float Design categories at the annual Parada ng Kalayaan.

Leading the victories was the Tultugan Festival of Maasin, Iloilo, which was named champion in the Festival Performance Competition.

Derived from “tultug,” the local term for striking bamboo to produce sound, the festival celebrates Maasin’s thriving bamboo industry through music and dance.

“Each beat of the bamboo drum, each movement of our dancers, and each smile from our community tells a story — a story of resilience, unity, and love for heritage,” said Maasin Mayor Francis “Ansing” Amboy.

First Lady Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos, who attended the parade with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., praised Iloilo’s participation in a video message.

“Thank you very much for the nice show you put on for the Independence Day parade. It made such a big difference,” she said.

Iloilo City’s Dinagyang Festival, represented by Tribu Pan-ay, secured the 1st runner-up spot in the festival performance category.

Antipolo City’s Maytime Festival placed 2nd runner-up.

In the Historical Float Design Competition, the Iloilo Provincial Government took 1st runner-up honors for its float themed “Cry of Santa Barbara.”

The float commemorated the 1898 inauguration of the Revolutionary Government of the Visayas and the first hoisting of the Philippine flag outside Luzon.

It included a dramatic reenactment of Patrocinio Gamboa and Honorio Solinap’s covert transport of the flag, hidden in a carriage of hay.

Bas-relief portraits of Ilonggo revolutionaries such as General Martin Delgado, Roque Lopez, Venancio Concepcion and Pascual Magbanua adorned the float.

Despite Iloilo’s strong performance, Candon City in Ilocos Sur was declared the overall winner in the historical float category with its entry “Ikkis ti Candon.”

Bago City, Negros Occidental earned 2nd runner-up honors for its float commemorating the Cinco de Noviembre Revolt.