By IME SORNITO
ILOILO — The 2026 edition of the Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan competition of the Dinagyang Festival marked a clear creative leap, with performances showing stronger identity, sharper storytelling, and bolder departures from past presentations, according to Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr.
Defensor said the eight participating festivals this year demonstrated a noticeable transformation compared with last year, particularly in how each tribe developed its own distinct character and artistic direction.
“Nakita naton nga it has leveled up, big difference between last year and this year. And nakita na naton, it has developed a character, the participating festivals were not afraid to make something different, lain na. Every presentation is different and every presentation is a surprise, kita ko lain and we like that. We want to develop that way,” Defensor said.
The governor credited the improved quality of performances to the willingness of participating festivals to experiment and move away from familiar formulas, resulting in presentations that were both unpredictable and visually compelling.
Defensor congratulated the Iloilo Festivals Foundation Inc. (IFFI), the eight participating tribes, and the Iloilo provincial government for the successful staging of Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan 2026, noting that the competition has continued to evolve as a platform for cultural creativity among local government units.
When asked which festival he personally favored, Defensor said all participants were winners in his view, citing the consistently high level of performance across the board.
For this year’s competition, the prizes were: P1.2 million for the champion, P700,000 for first runner-up, and P500,000 for the second runner-up. Non-winning tribes got P200,000 each.
These prizes were on top of provincial government subsidies provided to support production and performance enhancements. Miag-ao, Santa Barbara, Maasin, Anilao, Banate, and San Rafael each received P2 million, while New Lucena and Bingawan were allotted P3 million each.
The eight festivals that competed for the Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan were Jimanban Festival of New Lucena, Tawili Festival of San Rafael, Salakayan Festival of Miag-ao, Pagnahi-an Festival of Bingawan, Tultugan Festival of Maasin, Kasag Festival of Banate, Kahilwayan Festival of Santa Barbara, and Banaag Festival of Anilao./PN