ILOILO — With the bar set higher by defending champion Tultugan Festival of Maasin town, Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. said spectators can expect a fiercer, more elevated showdown when eight contingents compete in the “Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan” competition of the Dinagyang Festival on January 24, 2026.
Pushing Iloilo Province’s flagship cultural contest to new artistic and competitive heights, Defensor said contesting groups (municipal festivals) are now compelled to level up their choreography, storytelling, and overall execution after witnessing Maasin’s dominant performance, which earned national recognition (Aliwan Fiesta 2025) and positioned the group for a possible “grand slam” in 2026.
The eight confirmed Kasadyahan 2026 contingents are the following:
* Salakayan Festival of Miag-ao
* Kahilwayan Festival of Santa Barbara
* Jimanban Festival of New Lucena
* Pagnahi-an Festival of Bingawan
* Tultugan Festival of Maasin
* Kasag Festival of Banate
* Banaag Festival of Anilao, and
* Tawili Festival of San Rafael
Originally, nine confirmed participation, but the Bayluhay Festival of San Joaquin withdrew due to a scheduling conflict.
Defensor also confirmed that Tribu Jalaud of Calinog — long regarded as a strong rival of Tultugan — will not join the 2026 Kasadyahan edition.
To help the contingents enhance production value and performance quality, the provincial government has allotted subsidies of P2 million for participating tribes from second-class and lower-class municipalities, and P1.5 million for first-class municipalities. Still, Defensor acknowledged that the assistance barely covers the full cost of mounting a competitive presentation.
The 2026 Kasadyahan will be staged in two major venues — the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand in the Iloilo City Proper and the Iloilo Sports Complex in La Paz district —allowing larger audiences to witness what provincial officials expect to be one of the most competitive editions of the cultural spectacle to date./PN
