ILOILO City – The Iloilo Festivals Foundation, Inc. (IFFI) strictly enforced props measurement rules at the Dinagyang tribes competition, leading to Tribu Silak from Iloilo City National High School, Molo district missing out on major awards due to oversized props.
Nevertheless, Tribu Silak received three technical and special awards – Best in Choreography, Best in Performance, and People’s Choice Award.
Prof. Eric Divinagracia, the artistic and creative director of the 2024 Dinagyang Tribes Competition for the IFFI, reported that the committee had set specific size limits for moving props, capping them at 12 feet in height and 10 feet in depth.
“One tribe failed to comply with these dimensions,” Divinagracia said, identifying Tribu Silak as the non-compliant party.
Their crow-shaped prop exceeded the limit by over three feet, as confirmed by the committee on Sunday, Jan. 28.
This infringement resulted in a reduction of points, with each judge deducting 10 points from the tribe’s total score.
“There was a substantial penalty of 10 points by all judges. The tribe was not disqualified, but penalties were enforced,” clarified Divinagracia.
Approximately 20 judges assessed the performances of the eight competing tribes across four judging areas.
Before applying the point deduction to Tribu Silak, the committee briefed the tribe manager, Iloilo City National High School principal Alpha Java, and performed an inspection and measurement of the props in their presence.
“We engaged with the tribe and verified the measurements. Indeed, they exceeded the limits. It was a hard decision, but we align with the judges’ view that rules must be upheld,” said Divinagracia.
He highlighted the importance of contest rules but acknowledged that they might be reviewed and potentially revised in the future.
Nonetheless, at present, adherence to the existing rules was necessary as per the judges’ consensus, said Divinagracia.
When asked about the detection of the size violation, Divinagracia revealed that the committee received photos of Tribu Silak’s props, leading to further investigation.
Measurements were taken by Divinagracia, co-director Elvert Bañares, and the tabulation committee’s chairman and technical officers.
“The prop was more than three feet beyond the allowed size, and if expanded, it measured 30 feet, exceeding the 10 feet limit,” he explained.
The tribe manager was informed about the deductions after the inspection and before the award ceremony.
“We maintained transparency and due process throughout,” Divinagracia added.
RULES
Divinagracia clarified that since 2019, all schools participating in the competition had been well-informed about the rules and regulations. This year, reminders about these rules were regularly communicated through group chats with tribe managers and choreographers.
Additionally, ocular inspections were conducted months and weeks before the competition to ensure rule compliance, said Divinagracia.
However, he admitted that tribes may have made last-minute changes to their props and sets.
Rumors on social media about disqualifications were unfounded, said Joyce Clavecillas, the IFFI’s executive director.
“There were point deductions, not disqualifications, due to exceeding set dimensions. This was clearly explained by our judging committee, Clavecillas clarified.
She confirmed the validity of the judges’ decisions, based on the application of set design rules concerning height and width.
Clavecillas expressed gratitude to Java for her gracious acceptance of the judges’ decision.
“We appreciate their professional demeanor. Despite the setback, they displayed commendable grace,” Clavecillas added./PN
