‘LESS GRAND BUT SAFEST’: Public health front and center in Dinagyang 2021

This year’s Dinagyang Festival may not be the grandest, but it is the safest festival in the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic as organizers prioritized the health and safety of Ilonggos.

Far from the usual festive spirit and massive crowd, streets in Iloilo City are less busy and free from food kiosks and tourists that would usually mushroom around the city during the fourth week of January.

Mayor Jerry Treñas said the goal of this year’s festival under the new normal is not to be the grandest but the safest festival in the country amid the pandemic.

“Might not be the grandest, but is the safest celebration during this pandemic, Dinagyang Digital 2021! The festivity is just a click away,” he said on his Facebook page.

COVID-19 forced the Iloilo City government and the organizer of Dinagyang Festival, the Iloilo Festivals Foundation Inc. (IFFI), to shift to the online platform to bring the festival closer to Ilonggos.

Themed “One Dinagyang, One Iloilo, Halad kay Señor Sto. Niño”, the celebration focuses on the faith and devotion of Ilonggos which will be presented through different sets of online and offline platforms while taking into consideration the strict implementation of health protocols.

On Thursday, the first ever “Sto. Niño Religious Motorcade” was held as part of the religious celebration of Dinagyang Festival.

The “Golden Boy,” or the replica of the Sto. Niño de Cebu, together with the 20 other images of Sto. Niño were paraded in the seven districts of Iloilo City in lieu of the usual fluvial procession.

Ilonggo devotees patiently waited on the streets and raised their Sto. Niño images as the parade passed by.

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Treñas said the faith of the Ilonggos never faltered and in fact became even stronger as the city unites to fight one common enemy that is COVID-19.

“Years before, the streets are filled with Ilonggo worshippers and tourists alike, raising their Sto. Niño images hoping that their sadsad prayers will be heard. With the COVID-19 pandemic testing our faiths, the Iloilo City Government shared the virtual celebration to all devotees of the child Jesus all over the globe. This may be a dark time for most of us, but our faith became even stronger,” he said.

A virtual edition of the religious sadsad or community dancing will be shown on various social media platforms tomorrow, January 23 at 6pm, while the highlight of the festival on January 24 will begin with the Dinagyang mass at 7AM. (ERS)