ILOILO City – Around 20,000 Ilonggos including visitors lined the city streets and trooped to the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand on Muelle Loney Street to get a glimpse of the most-awaited performances of participating Dinagyang Festival 2023 tribes during yesterday’s opening salvo.
Blessed with a fair weather, over 7,000 spectators stormed the Freedom Grandstand while the rest of the crowd waited for the tribes along the city’s thoroughfares for the carousel type route parade. The Incident Management Team of the Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office did the crowd estimate.
The spectators were welcomed by Iloilo Festivals Foundation, Inc. (IFFI) president Jose Layson Jr. IFFI is managing the city’s world-renowned Dinagyang Festival.
“After two years we are back full force on the streets of our beloved Iloilo City to celebrate the feast of our Baby Jesus, Señor Sto. Niño,” Layson exclaimed as he welcomed the crowd.
Anchored on the theme, “Iloilo Dinagyang 2023: Pasalamat kay Señor Sto. Niño”, this year’s edition of the festival highlights the gratefulness of the Ilonggos to the Child Jesus for his protection and guidance especially during the height of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
For the past two years, Dinagyang was celebrated virtually because of the pandemic.
“Nalipay gid ako nga pagkatapos duha ka tuig, makabalik ang ginakilala kag bantog nga Dinagyang Festival sang Iloilo,” said Mayor Jerry P. Treñas.
During the opening salvo, the city mayor officially opened the festival.
“Bugal ko bilang alkalde sang syudad nga subong nga hapon ako ginhatagan honor kag prebilihiyo nga magdeklarar nga ang Dinagyang 2023 officially open,” Treñas said.
A total of 15 tribes – eight for the Dagyang sa Barangay tribes competition and seven for the Dinagyang Ilomination contest – gave the public a sneak peak of their performances for the highlights of the festival on Jan. 21 and 22.
The Dagyang sa Barangay competing tribes are Sagasa, Ilonggohanon, Sagrada Familia, Molave kang Salog, Kanyaw sang Baybayanon, Parianon, Halimaw, and Pana-ad.
Meanwhile, the Dinagyang Ilomination’s seven contesting tribes representing the seven city districts are Arevalo, City Proper, Jaro, La Paz, Lapuz, Mandurriao, and Molo./PN
