MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Sunday reminded devotees of Señor Santo Niño celebrating the Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo City to lead in preserving, protecting, and promoting Filipino identity.
“Let the Dinagyang Festival serve as a reminder of our collective responsibility to preserve, protect, and promote our identity in these changing times,” Marcos said in his message to the Ilonggos.
Marcos said through such collective effort, Filipinos can ensure the continuity of the distinct way of life in the country.
“It is through this collective effort that we ensure the continuity of the distinct way of life that binds us as one nation moving ever forward towards a brighter future,” he said.
President Marcos said the Dinagyang festival “showcases the vibrancy of lloilo and the profound sense of unity and pride that defines its proud and resilient people.”
“The Dinagyang Festival is a reflection of the rich and colorful mosaic that make up all our indigenous groups, including the brave and enduring Ati people whom we also honor today,” Marcos said.
The festival started in 1967. A replica of the Santo Niño de Cebu was brought from Cebu to the San Jose de Placer Church. The image was enthusiastically received by the Ilonggos who danced on the streets of Iloilo City to the tune of rumbling drums.
Dinagyang is known for its participants’ impressive choreography and striking costumes that reflect Ilonggo ingenuity, craftsmanship and artistry. (PNA)/PN
