Saturday, February 3, 2007

A Little Side Trip: Dinagyang Festival

I was quite busy last week and this is one of the reasons. Iloilo City, Philippines celebrated its yearly Dinagyang Festival which is held on the third week of January. A festival that Ilonggo's celebrates to show their appreciation and devotion to Senior Sto. Ninio(baby Jesus). Its a week long celebration, people from all over Panay Island and the rest of the Philippines gathered to celebrate this festival. Natives and tourist alike enjoy themselves with the native foods serve at the food festivals, listening to live concerts held every night while awaiting the two day finale which will feature several competing tribes in two categories. In this years festival 20 tribes have competed with each other to grab the championship trophy.

The tribes ready themselves and practice 2 months before the competition. They rigorously disciplined their tribe members, designed colorful custumes using native materials, compose unique music using drums, congas and other native instruments. Tribe members paint their whole body with black latex paint and prepare for the tidious street dancing around the city's five staging areas while the punishing heat of the tropical sun beats on them. This grueling activity demonstrates their devotion to their faith. Some can handle this while others succumb to the punishing heat, fatigue and dehydration. This festival was cited by the Philippine Department of Tourism as the best Tourism event in the country. Tourist would usually book their hotel reservation 1 month before the festival.

The Philippine Islands celebrates quite a lot of festivals, well known festivals in the Visayan Islands are usually celebrated during the months of November to January. Iloilo City is 6 hours drive away from Boracay Island( a white sand beach on the northern part of Panay Island), tourist would usually refresh themselves in the crystal clear water-powder white beach of boracay. Tourist also festival hop from island to island. They would usually start their festival hopping in Bacolod to attend the Maskara Festival, after which the Ati-Atihan of Kalibo will be celebrated followed by the Dinagyang festival then would end their journey in Boracay Island. This is a unique cultural event, a colorful celebration in which Ilonggos are proud of.