Dinagyang Festival – one of the Philippines most popular Festival was launched yesterday by this years Organizers in SM City Iloio.
Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation Inc. (Idfi) Vice President Ricardo Andrada said the different activity groups of the Working Committee are led by veteran hands, ready and committed to work under the pressure of time.
Dinagyang Festival has been awarded the Best Tourism Event by the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines for three consecutive years and the festival is now in the hall of fame. This popular festival is also the first festival in the world to get the support of the United Nations for the promotion of the Millennium Development Goals. The national launch of Dinagyang 2009 will be held in Tendercitas, Greenhills and Malll of Asia on December 12 – 15, 2008.
The Dinagyang Festival’s highlight is held on the fourth Sunday of January, and it draws local and foreign tourists to the City. The Dinagyang is divided into three Major events: Ati-Ati Street Dancing, Kasadyahan Street Dancing and Miss Dinagyang. There will also be lesser competing tribes this year. Last year, 20 tribes participated in the Ati dance competition, the Festival’s main event. This year the street competition will be on January 25,2009 and only 18 tribes have signed up.
Iloilo Dinagyang 2009 Ati competition list of Participants
- Tribu Paghidaet
- Tribu Ilonganon
- Ang Taga Jaro
- Tribu Silak
- Tribu Atub-Atub
- Tribu Panagat ( formerly Tribu Parianon)
- Tribu Pag-asa
- Tribu Pana-ad
- Tribu Molave
- Tribu Aninipay
- Tribu Binhi
- Tribu Milagrosa (formerly Tribu Baryohanon)
- Tribu Bantu
- Tribu Hamili
- Tribu Angola
- Tribu Himala
- Tribu Himal- us
- Tribu Bola- Bola
Dinagyang is held both to honor the Santo Niño and to celebrate the arrival on Panay of Malay settlers and the subsequent selling of the island to them by the Atis.
The main part of the festival consists of a number of “tribes”, called “tribus”, who are supposed to be Ati tribe members dancing in celebration. There are a number of requirements, including that the performers must paint their skin brown and that only indigenous materials can be used for the costumes. All dances are performed to drum music.