ILOILO City – Team Sulong Gugma, led by Iloilo City Lone District Cong. Julienne “Jam-Jam” Baronda and former Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, is joining the devotees of Señor Santo Niño as well as local and foreign revelers in celebrating the much-awaited Dinagyang Festival 2025.
Three-term city councilor, Love-Love Baronda, who is vying for the vice mayoralty post in the May polls, along with the group’s candidates for councilors – Doc Von Deveza, Atty. Kesha Pesina Tupas, Pastor Stanley “Big Bro” Flores, Peter Oñate, GM Ariete Ramos, Jun Capulot, Mor Espinosa, Atty. Boots Gerochi, Sheen Marie Mabilog, and Bryant Zulueta, also known as “DP-FORCE-GMZ” – are scheduled to join Cong. Baronda and Mabilog in attending the solemn high mass on Sunday at the San Jose Placer Parish, which precedes the opening program of the Ati tribes competition.
“We will do what we usually do during Dinagyang, especially going to Mass in that will be solemnized in His honor. We will go to church and after that we will witness the performances of the ati-ati tribes. We will also join several Dinagyang-related activities even before Sunday’s highlight,” Cong. Baronda said.
“Dinagyang is a celebration rooted in our devotion to Señor Santo Niño, so the best way to celebrate it is first, by paying homage to the Child Jesus and then watching the tribes’ performances which I miss enjoying for the past seven years,” Mabilog told Panay News.
“Every year we hear Mass at San Jose Placer to thank Señor Santo Niño for the blessings we have received and will receive. Then, we will witness the performances of the tribes. We will also join the merry-making afterwards,” Love-Love Baronda shared.
There’s room for improvement
When asked what will they try to introduce or suggest for the improvement of the world-renowned festival should she become a city councilor, Doc Deveza said, ”I think we need to be more inclusive. Ordinary Ilonggos flock the judging areas every night these past weeks to witness the blocking and rehearsals because they would not be able to watch the actual performances because they don’t have the money to buy tickets.”
Atty. Pesina agreed, saying, “We should add more performance areas so that ordinary citizens can enjoy. If we can add two to three or more judging stages and make these open on a first-come-first-served basis, it would be great. Dinagyang has become inaccessible to the masses these days because they had to fork out P1,000 or P1,500 or more for a seat in one of only four judging areas.”
Flores, meanwhile, said that what former Mayor Mabilog introduced during his incumbency of having the Iloilo Sports Complex as a judging area needs to be revisited as it can accommodate more people than the current four stages combined.
“We need to make our people enjoy the performances. Let us give them access, let us give them comfort so that they could truly enjoy the event,” he said.
“Yes, having the sports complex as one of the judging areas makes sense. I think we should ask the stakeholders if they are agreeable to it. Or ask them for options where to situate the additional judging areas. The law of supply and demand is applicable here because there is a growing demand for seats but the available supply is very limited,” added GM Ariete Ramos.
Capulot, meanwhile, said that he will push for the transparent reporting of the income and expenses of the Iloilo Festivals Foundation Inc. (IFF) and the city government: “Let us be transparent. Let us publish the income and expenses. Pila ang donasyon sa IFFI? Pila ang ila nagasto kag kay sin-o gingasto? Sa City Hall naman, pila ka kiosko ang ginpang-put up, kag pila ang income? Ang mga amo sini dapat mabal-an sang publiko for transparency and accountability.”
Espinosa, on the other hand, said that subsidies to tribes should be increased and that the guidelines of the Ati tribes competition be revisited as the current limitation on props or risers limit the creativity of the tribes.
“We should encourage innovation and creativity by along fresh ideas. Let us rethink the guidelines and make it open to new ideas,” he said.
Atty. Gerochi thinks that the Dinagyang should be a tool to entice foreign tourists to visit Iloilo City as the city positions itself as a tourist destination: “Why don’t we use Dinagyang to promote our city? Let us send Dinagyang performers abroad so that we can pick the curiosity of Westerners and probably be able to make them come over.”
Sheen Marie Mabilog said that the devotion to Señor Santo Niño should be given more emphasis.
“The traslacion is a welcome move to rekindle the devotion to Señor Santo Niño. So let us find ways to further bring focus to the religious side like let us have a fluvial procession maybe from Arevalo where the third oldest image of Santo Niño is at. Let us think about ways with our religious and lay groups,” she said.
Zulueta agreed with Gerochi to make Dinagyang an ambassador to promote Iloilo City.
“Yes, let us maximize the potential of Dinagyang. Let us promote Iloilo City by sending Dinagyang around the country and around the world. Maybe Cong. Jam-jam can help link us up with the embassies to promote our city,” Zulueta said.
Cong. Baronda has released financial assistance from her personal funds to the Ati tribes, sadsad groups, and the ILOmination, among other festival events.
“I try to help as a way to thank Santo Niño because these events are for His glory. Actually, some principals/group/tribe heads said that they are sorry because they cannot announce that I sponsored them because they might be disqualified due to the EO banning political messages. But I told them not to worry as what I share with them is part of my panata to Señor Santo Niño,” said Cong. Baronda./PN
