ILOILO City – Before the drums, dances, and street spectacles take over Iloilo City, Dinagyang Festival 2026 was formally ushered in Friday, January 23, with a solemn fluvial and foot procession that underscored the religious soul of the celebration and reaffirmed the Ilonggos’ devotion to Señor Santo Niño.
The rites began with a fluvial procession along the Iloilo Strait and Iloilo River, followed by a solemn foot procession from Muelle Loney through the city’s main streets, culminating at San Jose de Placer Parish Church at Plaza Libertad where a Mass was held.
The image of Señor Sto. Niño was first carried aboard the patrol boat BRP Kalanggaman, which departed from the Iloilo Fish Port Complex and sailed toward Bundulan Point in Jordan, Guimaras. Another patrol vessel, BRP Malapascua, left from Muelle Loney, with both boats meeting at Bundulan Point before sailing back together to Iloilo City via Muelle Loney.
Thousands of devotees joined the procession, transforming the festival’s opening into a powerful public expression of faith, prayer, and community solidarity.
Participants carried personal images of Señor Santo Niño — a tradition passed down through generations — reflecting the deeply rooted spiritual character of Dinagyang beyond its globally known street performances. The procession served as a reminder that the festival’s foundation lies in devotion rather than spectacle.
Children dressed as the Santo Niño added a poignant and colorful element to the procession, their costumes symbolizing innocence and purity while drawing smiles and quiet reverence from onlookers lining the route.
Dinagyang Festival’s religious foundation began in November 1967 when Rev. Fr. Ambrosio Galindez, the first Filipino rector of San Jose de Placer Parish, introduced the devotion to Señor Santo Niño after witnessing the Ati-Atihan Festival in Aklan.
In 1968, a replica of the original Señor Santo Niño image from Cebu was brought to Iloilo by Fr. Sulpicio Enderez and paraded from the airport to San Jose de Placer Parish, marking the first informal celebration. Ilonggos welcomed the icon by dancing on the streets to the beat of drums.
Friday’s fluvial procession was joined by Iloilo City’s Mayor Raisa Treñas and Cong. Julienne Baronda, who carried the revered image of Señor Santo Niño. Their participation highlighted the role of local leaders in preserving and honoring the cultural and religious traditions that define the Ilonggo identity./PN
