About Iloilo Dinagyang Festival

The Dinagyang is the biggest and most colorful religious and cultural festival in Iloilo City, Philippines. Dinagyang had its humble beginnings in the devotion to the Señor Santo Niño that began to take root in the hearts of Ilonggos some 40 years ago. Rev. Fr. Ambrosio Galindez started to introduce the devotion to Santo Niño in November 1967.

The Dinagyang is held on the fourth Sunday of January, or right after the Sinulog In Cebu and the Ati-Atihan in Aklan.

In 1968, a replica of the original image of the Santo Niño de Cebu was brought to Iloilo by Fr. Sulpicio Enderez. He intended that image to be given as a gift to the Parish of San Jose through Father Galindez. It was no ordinary arrival in Iloilo, for the faithful, led by members of Confradia del Santo Niño de Cebu, Iloilo Chapter, worked to give the image a fitting reception starting at the Iloilo Airport, down the streets of Iloilo, where they paraded it.

The observance of the feast since the arrival of the image was characterized with merry-making confined only within the parochial level. The Confradia patterened the features of the Ati-atihan similar to Ibajay, Aklan, where natives dance on the streets, their bodies covered with soot and ashes. It was not an imitation in its entirety of rituals, but an imitation done in the spirit of devotion to the Child Jesus.

It was the tribal groups first paid homage and was in this prototype of devotion that the present festival takes its form, contextualized only in Ilonggo culture.

In 1977, that simple, humble devotion had found its way into the mainstream culture, which, again Fr. Margallo called a "blending of purpose". It was the year, the national government mandated the regions to come up with festivals or celebrations that can boost the spirit of tourism and development into one. The city of Iloilo readily identified the Iloilo Ati-atihan as its tourism potential project, which came on time just as the local parish proponent could hardly handle the growing challenges of the expanding upsurge of devotion.

The blending of purpose is captured in the magnetic word Dinagyang, the symbol of devotion in dynamic motion, in making Iloilo today, "the only one", evolving its own story of faith and culture in perfect timing.

Dinagyang was voted as the best Tourism Event for 2007.

The Dinagyang is divided into three Major events: Ati-Ati Street Dancing, Kasadyahan Street Dancing and Miss Dinagyang.

Source: www.dinagyangfoundation.com / en.wikipedia.org