Iloilo’s Dinagyang Festival will resume all its street events in 2023 after these were temporarily halted for two years due to the pandemic.
Joyce Ann Clavecillas, executive director of the Iloilo Festivals Foundation, Inc. and serving as one of the organizers of the annual festival, said events would be back in person after two years of going digital.
“This is our way of expressing our gratitude to Señor Santo Niño that amidst being in a very difficult situation, we are still here, we are still thriving. We are doing the things that we like for the city, for our community. There are plenty of reasons to be thankful,” Clavecillas said in an interview on Friday.
The festival will start on Jan. 13, 2023, with highlights set on January 20-22.
“We made (our) announcement early because we want our tourists and visitors, as well as Ilonggos, who for so long were not able to come home, especially during the pandemic, to prepare already their travel plans to Iloilo,” she added.
The organizers began meeting with different stakeholders in July, as well as with target participants and committees.
The artistic group, which will work on the concepts and guidelines, especially the tribes' competition, has been formed.
Clavecillas said the tribes would have barangay and school-based categories although there might be adjustments, depending on the setup of children-participants, taking into account any modification by the Department of Education.
Festival organizers are also prioritizing the return of the food festival on the streets because it is a way of helping micro, small and medium enterprises, and startup businesses, she said.
The foundation is also considering bringing back the Kasadyahan Festival, Search for Miss Iloilo, and liturgical activities, such as the religious sadsad (merrymaking).
She said one big challenge for next year’s staging is the source of funds as they expressed appreciation to their partners for continuous support even during the difficult time due to the pandemic.
Source: Philippines News Agency
