As expected, thousands of tourists, both foreign and local drove to Iloilo City for the annual Dinagyang Festival. The fiesta is held every 4th Sunday of January in honor of the Santo Niño.

20 tribes participated in the ati-ati contest, the highlight of this grand festival. The streetdance started at 8 in the morning and lasted until 1 in the afternoon.

Iloilo city Mayor Jerry Treñas said that this is the best dinagyang Festival since it started. The costumes are just so spectacular! The choreography’s amazing. I have also seen several tribes changing costumes and headresses during the performance.

Dinagyang is the only festival in the world recognized by the United Nations to promote its advocacy campaign on the Millenium Development Goals (MGD). It was also adjust last year by the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP) as the Best Tourism Event of the Philippines. The Dinagyang Festival also won the 1st runner up title in the 2006 Aliwan Festival.

Upcoming Festivals to watch out for!

Sinulog 2010
Ati-atihan 2010
Dinagyang 2010
Panagbenga Festival 2010
Philippine International hot Air Balloon fiesta 2009 Clark Pampanga

Bacolod City will never be called the City of Smiles without any reason at all. Once again, this charming city in the province of Negros Occidental has celebrated the country’s most colorful fiesta: The Masskara Festival. Thousands of people flocked to the streets and the judging areas to witness streetdancers clad in smiling masks colorful costumes and intricate headresses. Three days of streetdancing under the heat of the sun brought out the party-animal instinct in all of us.

The Masskara Festival is a celebration of victory over tragedy. Hapiness over grief. Abundance over poverty. The Ilonggo people really knows how to live up to the Masskara tagline” Sige Lang, Sige Na. Bacolod Bato Kita” (It’s ok, it’s alright. Bacolod, fight on!)

Masskara Festival Open Category Champion, Barangay Alijis:

Byahilo: Your Journey Begins Here

Upcoming Festivals to watch out for!

Sinulog 2010
Ati-atihan 2010
Dinagyang 2010
Panagbenga Festival 2010
Philippine International hot Air Balloon fiesta 2009 Clark Pampanga

last in a series

Featured Aliwan Fiesta Contingent:
DINAGYANG FESTIVAL, Iloilo City

Every fourth Sunday of January, the entire city of Iloilo is turned into a one big party place. As early as 2 in the morning, young men start to paint their bodies in black, and wear their colorful costumes. At the strike of 8 in the morning, drumbeats can now be heard all over the place. These painted men go out to the streets and dance to the endless beating of the drums.

The Dinagyang Festival is held annually in honor of the infant Jesus, or the Santo Nino. Usually a dancer or several of them carries a image of the Santo Nino during their dance routine. Tribes circle the Iloilo city proper and perform their dance rituals in five judging areas. In between the five judging areas, they are also required to perform their streetdance routine. The competition is traditionally done in a carousel type.

This year’s Dinagyang Festival representative to the Aliwan Fiesta is the Tribu Ilonganon of Jalandoni National High School, of Lapuz District, Iloilo City.

Tribu Ilonganon is barely new to the Dinagyang Festival. they first joined the Dinagyang Festival in 2005 and immediately landed as 2nd runner up. This year, they have won the grand prize, as well as the Best in Choreography, and Best Choreogapher awards.

Dinagyang Festival is not new to the Aliwan Fiesta. In fact it never failed to win a place in this yearly competition. In 2003, the Dinagyang Festival won the 1st runner up awards. The festival has won the overall championship in the 2004 edition of Aliwan Fiesta. In 2005, the festival has landed 2nd runner up.

This year’s Aliwan Fiesta streetdance competition will be on April 29, at 4PM. The parade will start from Quirino Grandstandstand, down to the CCP complex.

For more information about the Aliwan Fiesta, please go to:http://www.byahilo.com

Upcoming Festivals to watch out for!

Sinulog 2010
Ati-atihan 2010
Dinagyang 2010
Panagbenga Festival 2010
Philippine International hot Air Balloon fiesta 2009 Clark Pampanga

Dinagyang is a festival of thanksgiving in honor of the Santo Nino. This is usually held every fourth Sunday of January in Iloilo City.

People wake up very early in the morning, paint themselves in black, wear very colorful costumes and headress, and dance to the hypnotizing beat of the drums.

Tribes circle the entire city proper of Iloilo, performing in 5 judging areas. The streetdance competition starts at 8 in the morning right after the Holy Mass, and usually ends in the afternoon.

Because of the extreme heat and the physical demands of the streetdance, only few women dare to join as an ati or warrior.

 

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