ILOILO City – Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. and his wife, First Lady Michelle Defensor, were formally installed as hermano y hermana mayor of Dinagyang Festival 2026, marking the opening of the novena for the Feast of Señor Sto. Niño and underscoring the provincial leadership’s central role in the city’s biggest religious and cultural celebration.
The installation rites were held at around 5:30 p.m. on January 16 at San Jose de Placer Parish Church in Plaza Libertad, Iloilo City, and were officiated by Fr. Nelson Zerda.
Gov. Defensor attended the solemn ceremony, while his wife was represented by the governor’s mother, Cosette Defensor. The event formally passed on the roles from last year’s hermano y hermana mayor former Iloilo City mayor Jose Espinosa III and wife Gina, continuing a long-standing Ilonggo tradition of lay leadership and devotion to Señor Sto. Niño.
The titles hermanoand hermana mayor, rooted in Hispanic traditional and meaning “older brother and sister,” refer to the principal lay leaders entrusted with overseeing and supporting feast-related religious activities in the Filipino Catholic tradition.
Records show that the first Dinagyang hermano y hermana mayor were Dr. Antonio and Rosa Caram, who served until the 1975 edition of the festival.
Apart from the installation ceremony, organizers also released the full schedule of activities for the Feast of Señor Sto. Niño 2026, themed “In Santo Niño, We are One,” running from January 16 to 25:
January 16
* Opening Salvo (Pamukaw sa Barangay via motorcade)
* Installation of Hermano and Hermana Mayores 2026
January 17
* Sto. Niño Mass for Children
* Children’s Fun Day (San Jose Catholic School Gym)
January 18
* Sunday Liturgy Mass
* Medical Mission (San Jose Catholic School Gym, 9 a.m.)
January 19
* Healing Mass for Elders (8:30 a.m.)
* Re-enactment of the enthronement of the image of Señor Sto. Niño (San Jose Catholic School Gym, 1:30 p.m.)
* Blessing of Pregnant Women (5:30 p.m.)
January 22
* Blessing of the Children (5:30 p.m.)
* Translacion via motorcade (6:30 p.m.)
January 23
* Fluvial and Foot Processions (2 p.m.)
* Blessing of Sto. Niño images (5:30 p.m.)
January 24
* Grand Religious Sadsad in front of San Jose Parish Placer (7 p.m.)
January 25
* Concelebrated High Mass (6 a.m.)
* Sto. Niño Liturgy Masses at 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 2:30 p.m., 4 p.m., and 5:30 p.m./PN
