ILOILO City – The removal of the Kasadyahan contest from the Dinagyang Festival has been proposed many times but this never materialized.
With the return of face-to-face Dinagyang Festival next year after a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Kasadyahan – a competition among local festivals – is also making a comeback.
“Daw indi ma-detach ang Kasadyahan sa Dinagyang. Ga-balance ang Dinagyang sa Kasadyahan,” said Dr. Eden Deriada, chairman of the Kasadyahan Festival Committee.
While the Dinagyang is primarily about competing ati-ati tribes, the Kasadyahan treats spectators, particularly balikbayans, with performance from participating Western Visayas-based festivals that showcase their respective localities’ colorful culture, heritage and traditions.
Kasadyahan is a celebration of unity in diversity, stressed Deriada.
The Iloilo Festivals Foundation Inc. (IFFI) through the Kasadyahan Committee recently held “Pang-abi-abi: A Preview of Kasadyahan 2023” at SM City Iloilo’s Activity Center to welcome the festivals joining the competition on Jan. 21, 2023 – a prelude to the “Dinagyang sa Barangay” tribes competition which is the highlight of Dinagyang on Jan. 22, 2023.
Eight festivals from Iloilo, Antique and Negros Occidental are seeing action. These are the following:
* Tribu Jalaud from the municipality of Calinog
* Tribu Miniluan from Talisay City, Negros Occidental
* Tribu Tiringbanay from San Jose de Buenavista, Antique
* Guban Manughaw-as sang Dumangas from Dumangas, Iloilo
* Sipalay Burangoy Kite Festival from Sipalay City, Negros Occidental
* Tribu Saludan from Tigbauan, Iloilo
* Tribu Madia-as from Culasi, Antique, and
* Pasalamat Festival from La Carlota City, Negros Occidental
The proposal to remove Kasadyahan from Dinagyang first surfaced in July 2019 with the creation of the IFFI which took over the management of the Dinagyang Festival from the Iloilo Dinagyang Festival Foundation. Former Department of Tourism (DOT) regional director Helen Catalbas said there should not be any problem.
“Kasadyahan should be distinct from Dinagyang. It must have its own identity,” she stressed.
Catalbas said the Kasadyahan has leveled up through the years, noting the improvements in the competing contingents’ choreographies, costumes, music, props, and concepts.
There was a proposal to stage the Kasadyahan every September, the National Tourism Month.
Catalbas also previously committed that DOT-6 was prepared to support Kasadyahan.
Kasadyahan started as out as a mardi gras with participation from city schools, universities and private organizations a few years after the birth of Dinagyang. This event is staged a day before the main highlight of the Dinagyang which is the ati-ati tribes contest./PN
