ILOILO City – Dinagyang Festival 2021 is going digital.
“We are ready to start the drums beating,” declared Atty. Joebert Peñaflorida, president of the Iloilo Festivals Foundation, Inc. (IFFI) that the city government has tasked to organize next year’s edition of the festival under a very challenging circumstance – the coronavirus disease pandemic.
Digital Dinagyang 2021 from Jan. 15 to 24 will be a tricky balancing act of ensuring public health and safety while celebrating the unique Ilonggo culture and rebooting the local economy stymied by the pandemic since March this year.
Dinagyang is the Hiligaynon word for revelry or merrymaking.
There will be no live performances of participating tribes. These will be “pre-filmed”, according to Peñaflorida, and would be streamed on social media accessible to spectators the world over.
“We will showcase world-class performances virtually. We will gather our best Ilonggo directors, videographers and choreographers to work together and deliver pre-filmed performance videos featuring our devotion to the Santo Niño,” he said during Friday last week’s homecoming dinner for Ilongga Miss Universe-Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo.
Dinagyang Festival started in 1967. A replica of the Santo Niño de Cebu was brought from Cebu to the San Jose de Placer Church here. The image was enthusiastically received by the Ilonggos who danced on the streets of Iloilo City.
Peñaflorida said the pandemic is challenging the IFFI – which is handling the festival only for the second time next year – to think out of the box. It is taking to a higher level the “Dinagyang 360 Degrees” performance concept it introduced in the 2020 edition of the festival. Contesting tribes were required to choreograph their presentations in such a way that the dancers faced the spectators from all angles during their performances.
Through new technologies and social media, IFFI will be showcasing Dinagyang in new and exciting perspectives, said Peñaflorida.
Digital Dinagyang 2021 will be featuring the indigenous people of Iloilo (the Ati and Panay Bukidnon), too, performances of Ilonggo artists, and even tributes to frontliners battling the coronavirus disease.
Dinagyang is known for its participants’ impressive choreography and striking costumes that reflect Ilonggo ingenuity, craftsmanship and artistry. It has been voted the “best tourism event” three times in a row – 2006, 2007 and 2008 – by the Association of Tourism Officers in the Philippines.
“With the full support of our city mayor (Jerry Treñas), city vice mayor (Jeffrey Ganzon), our congresswoman (Julienne Baronda), the Department of Tourism and San Jose Parish”, IFFI expressed confidence that next year’s unique Dinagyang would be a resounding success.
The 2021 festival theme is “One Dinagyang, One Iloilo Halad kay Senior Santo Niño”.
The virtual opening salvo will be on Jan. 15 while the religious sadsad (also virtual) is on Jan. 23.
On Jan. 24 just before the virtual performances of participating tribes, a Mass at the San Jose de Placer Church will be livestreamed.
Peñaflorida said Miss Universe Philippines Rabiya Mateo, also the reigning Miss Iloilo 2020, has agreed to be the official ambassador of Dinagyang.
She will also be hosting Digital Dinagyang 2021.
In the coming days, the IFFI will be announcing more Dinagyang 2021 events.
The festival is Iloilo City’s version of the Ati-atihan celebrations widely observed not only in Panay Island but also in other parts of the country./PN
