ILOILO City – The rain did not stop the fourth Santacruzan Ciudad de Iloilo from pushing through yesterday.
As a pageant that was part of Flores de Mayo, the parade did not only depict the finding of the cross but also put the spotlight on gowns made by Western Visayan fashion designers.
This year’s Santacruzan at the city hall grounds at 4 p.m. featured creations by designers not only from Iloilo but from Capiz and Negros Occidental provinces as well.
Thirty-three Ilongga beauty queens joined the Sagala, among them Miss Iloilo Dinagyang 2018 Demi Jainga as “Reyna Elena,” Miss Iloilo Dinagyang 2017 Jekkah May Prudente as “Reyna Emperatriz” and Miss Teen Iloilo 2017 Patricia Beerda as “Reyna De Las Flores.”
Jaina wore an Alex Soncio gown, Prudente donned a design of Ram Silva and Beerda was clad in a JunG Candelario creation.
Other featured designers included Gerard Espulgar and Daryl Amar.
From the San Jose de Placer Parish Church the Sagala was supposed to reach all the way to Casa Real de Iloilo (old provincial capitol) but the inclement weather made the organizers decide to hold it around Plaza Libertad instead.
Elsie B. Tedoco, one of the organizers, told Panay News they were aiming to make Santacruzan Ciudad de Iloilo one of the sought-after annual events in the metro alongside Dinagyang Festival and Iloilo Paraw Regatta.
The parade was a project of the Iloilo City Tourism Council, the Iloilo City Tourism Office, and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry. (Margaret Anjelie P. Llorico and April Grace R. Padilla, Interns/PN)
