ILOILO City – Dinagyang Festival will participate in this year’s edition of the Aliwan Fiesta, a competition of grand festivals across the country, Mayor Jerry Treñas announced yesterday.
Last year, the city government under
then mayor Jose Espinosa III did not showcase the Dinagyang in the Aliwan
citing budgetary constraints.
At yesterday’s thanksgiving luncheon hosted by the Iloilo Festivals Foundation,
Inc. (IFFI), Treñas said around P4 million is needed for Dinagyang’s Aliwan
participation this summer.
This year’s Dinagyang champion, Tribu Paghidaet of La Paz National High School, earned the privilege of representing the festival and city in the Aliwan.
Treñas said the city government will allot P1 million, the IFFI may shoulder P2 million and hopefully, the Iloilo provincial government would shell out another P1 million.
In 2018, Dinagyang failed to defend
its 2017 Aliwan Fiesta championship crown. It was represented by the 2018
Diangyang champion Tribu Panayanon of Iloilo City National High School which
settled for a third place finish.
Tribu Panayanon choreographer Romel Flogen blamed “budget issues.”
Leyte’s Kasadyaan Festival (represented by Tribu Buraburon) was declared the
champion.
Guimaras’ Manggahan Festival (represented by Tribu Mangunguma) placed second.
Flogen was also its choreographer.
“For the Dinagyang, I felt sad. Our limited budget limited our creativity,”
said Flogen.
The city government allotted P2 million for Dinagyang’s 2018 Aliwan
participation. It was released late, according to Flogen’s co-choreographer
George Susvilla.
A bigger budget would have made a big difference in Tribu Panayanon’s
presentation, said Flogen.
“Wala kita sang wow effects bala, wala spectacular parts nga mapa-wow ang tawo,” he said.
Flogen was referring to arresting props that could have given Panayanon what he
called “visual magic.”
“This was what we heard from the audience after our performance at the Quirino
Grandstand. Kulang. Kun sa cake pa, kulang icing ang
Dinagyang,” Flogen told Panay News.
Preparation time was also short because the budget was released late, he
lamented./PN
