ILOILO City – Dinagyang Festival, once hailed as the “Best Tourism Event in the Philippines,” further upped its ante this year with the introduction of innovations that made it more inclusive and immersive for both locals and tourists.
Among the novelties in Dinagyang 2020 are: 1) The 360-degree Ati Tribe dance competition where the Ati tribe dancers perform in an arena-type stadium while spectators surround them; 2) The Dagyang Calle Real to encourage the residents join in the traditional “sadsad” or community street dancing, and; 3) An art festival held at the historic Iloilo Esplanade to stay true to this year’s theme, “Perfect Vision: Celebrating the Ilonggo spirit in honor of Señor Santo Niño.”
Derived from the Hiligaynon term revelry or merrymaking, Dinagyang celebrates the historical event when a replica of the Señor Santo Niño was first brought to Iloilo City from Cebu City by the San Jose Parish.
Addressing the audience during the Festival, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas expressed his gratitude to everyone who helped put up the grandest Dinagyang Festival celebration to date, including the Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK).
With LANDBANK being a major sponsor in Dinagyang 2020, some LANDBANK personnel in Panay area, led by West Visayas Branches Group Head First Vice President Delma O. Bandiola together with Assistant Vice President Vivian M. Cañonero of the LANDBANK Corporate Affairs Department, joined the Festive Parade.
The LANDBANK Iloilo City Branch also put up a booth to accommodate inquiries from potential clients and to exhibit the products and services of the Bank to the festival goers.
“We laud the City Government of Iloilo, led by Mayor Jerry Treñas, and the Iloilo Festivals Foundation, Inc. for the safe and successful celebration of Dinagyang 2020. We look forward to strengthening our partnership and contributing to the City Government’s development. Through this, we will be able to boost our assistance to the farmers and fishers in the City and the Province of Iloilo,” LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo
The City and the Province of Iloilo are among the valued clients of LANDBANK in Western Visayas. The partnership with these government institutions benefited the Bank’s priority sectors, with total loan releases of P1.88B to small farmers and fishers in the Province as of end-December 2019.
Through the years, LANDBANK has solidified its presence not only in Iloilo City but in the whole province as well. The Bank has 10 branches and one (1) LANDBANK Easy Access Facility (LEAF) complemented by 40 ATMs and four (4) CDMs in the province to cater to the banking needs of the Ilonggos. The Bank also conducted a Financial Inclusion Caravan in Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo in 2017 to bring banking services to the unbanked and underserved in the area.
LANDBANK is looking at further strengthening this partnership through development and infrastructure projects that the City Government can pursue with the Bank./PN
