ILOILO City – Strong police deployment and close coordination among authorities and festival organizers ensured a peaceful start to Dinagyang Festival 2026. Nearly 30,000 people packed the opening salvo activities over the weekend with no major incidents reported.
The Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) said crowd estimates reached about 28,200 during the two-day kickoff from January 10 to 11, covering the Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan and the Dinagyang tribes’ opening salvo at the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand and Iloilo Sports Complex.
Police data showed around 11,000 spectators attended the Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan performances — 7,000 at the Freedom Grandstand and 4,000 at the Iloilo Sports Complex — while approximately 17,200 people watched the Dinagyang opening salvo, with crowds almost evenly split between the two venues.
Police Colonel Roland Bulalacao, the deputy regional director for operations of the Police Regional Office 6 and concurrently the officer-in-charge of the ICPO, personally monitored the security operations, which included pre-event inspections and coordination meetings with stakeholders.
“Based on our monitoring and assessment, the opening salvo was generally peaceful. This reflects the effectiveness of our security plans and the cooperation of the public,” Bulalacao said.
ICPO’s security strategy focused on crowd control, rapid emergency response, public assistance, and the prevention of man-made emergencies. Both uniformed and plainclothes personnel were deployed in key areas, while Police Assistance Desks were set up to immediately address concerns of festival-goers.
Bulalacao credited the incident-free opening to the combined efforts of the police, the city government, the Iloilo Festivals Foundation Inc., and the public, noting that discipline and vigilance played a crucial role in maintaining order.
Heightened security measures will remain in place as Dinagyang 2026 heads toward its main events on January 24 and 25./PN
