Dinagyang is Iloilo’s grandest festival, the mother of all festivals for the 42 towns, one component city and Iloilo City itself. From a plain religious event, Dinagyang Festival evolved into a flamboyant, colorful and jovial religious and cultural celebration with chants of “Viva Señor Santo Niño!”
But 53 years ago, the chants were only from a small group of devout Ilonggo Catholics.
Headed by then San Jose Parish Priest Father Ambrocio Galindez, then Iloilo City Mayor Reneirio Ticao, and devotees of Señor Santo Niño banded to welcome a replica of the image of Señor Santo Niño de Cebu.
It was brought to Iloilo City by Father Sulpicio Enderes, with the Cofradia de Cebu – group of religious faithful who made the Church an extension of their lives.
The image was enshrined at the San Jose Parish Church and led to the birth of Cofradia Del Santo Niño, Iloilo Chapter.
Weekly Novena was held in the honor of Santo Niño.
That was in 1968. A year later, the first San Jose Parish feast of Señor Santo Niño was celebrated with the culmination of the nine-day Novena in a fluvial procession.
From the Quirino – Lopez Bridge up to Fort San Pedro, a foot procession followed towards San Jose Parish. To further highlight the feast, Kalibo’s Ati-atihan champion tribe then, the “Black Beauty” and a runner-up tribe graced the occasion.
Thus the birth of a similar competition for Iloilo that was realized in 1970. Assembly point was at the Provincial Capitol passing the city’s main streets of Iznart and J.M. Basa then directly back to the San Jose Parish. Only Freedom Grandstand was the judging area with “Majapahit Tribe” of Compania Maritima as first champion.
Today’s Dinagyang has become an economic and tourism event. Even the image of Señor Santo Niño now has ‘competition’ in Dagoy the festival mascot.
The Cofradia though remained strong and united in celebrating the feast of Señor Santo Niño.
For journalist and researcher Tara Yap, Dinagyang’s storyline was culled straight from the folkloric Barter of Panay, which tells of the 13th century of migration of 10 Bornean datus to Panay Island. They bargained with the Ati indigenous people to occupy the lowlands.
With the successful land pact, a feast was held, with Borneans painting their bodies with soot and danced with the Atis as a sign of harmony.
Dinagyang’s modern version of the feast, however, is a spectacle that infuses the introduction of Christianity to the native Atis and the migrant Borneans via a time – warped version of history that has a gap of 300 years.
“The storyline may be confusing and contradictory, but the carefully executed Hala Bira! performances are visual and sensory treats that showcase imaginary and creative interpretations of how people inhabited the nose-shaped Iloilo,” Yap added.
In 1995, Dinagyang Festival sent it champion tribe to the Egypt Experimental Dance Festival in Cairo and proceeded to Portugal for the Lisbon Theatre Arts Festivals.
For the first time, in 1998, the Ati-ati competition was divided into two categories – barangay and open (school-based).
In 2002, a caricature was introduced by Christ Bayani, an artist from Manila. He intricately prepared the sketch of the icon that was later made as the official logo/mascot of the festival.
In 2003, Dinagyang joined the First Aliwan Fiesta of the Manila Broadcasting Company held in Aliw Theater. Tribu Atub-atub garnered the first runner-up award. In 2004, the Dinagyang was hailed Aliwan Fiesta Grand Champion.
Official Mascot Dagoy made its first public appearance in Dec. 11, 2004 during the official launching of the festival in Manila.
From 2006 to 2009, the festival was conferred the Best Tourism Event for the Festival Category by the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP).
Through the years, Dinagyang received various recognitions and has joined international festivities and events.
For one, it participated in the Philippine Independence Day Parade in Manhattan, New York City; Hong Kong; and Japan.
In 2014, ATOP conferred Dinagyang as the First Hall of Fame Awardee for the Festival category for its three consecutive wins.
In 2017, Dinagyang was awarded Best Festival in the 1st Philippine Tourism Industry Awards given by the United Star and Exhibitions Corporation.
In 2019, now Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas, created the Iloilo Festivals Foundation Inc. that will handle and manage city-run festivals including Dinagyang.
The 2021’s version is the first time in the history of Dinagyang as it will be staged virtually due to the threat of coronavirus disease 2019.
Largely of the lined up activities including the tribe performances are carried out virtually. Everything involving the Ati tribe performances was turned into collaboration among best known directors, choreographers and artists of Iloilo.
Nevertheless, Dinagyang has not departed from the original spirit of the devotion.
Hala Bira Iloilo! Viva Senior Sto. Niño! (Sources: Iloilo Dinagyang 2018 and 2020 souvenir program)
