Opinion Polls
By Marichel Teves-Magalona

On Dinagyang 2005… What are your observations, reactions and suggestions?

MARISSA SEGOVIA
Dinagyang 2005 was the the most peaceful… The handling of the festival by the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation and Festival Committees have come a long way in their efforts to make DINAGYANG bigger, better and global, however, new challenges always come along the way. Dinagyang 2005 is a prelude to the mammoth task of preparing for Visit Iloilo 2006.

CHARIE GINETE-ILON
Despite the minor hitches, Dinagyang 2005 was highly successful. It was viewed live not only locally but internationally as well thru ABS-CBN's Studio 23 and The Filipino Channel. And the festival was very peaceful. Surely more tourists will flock and watch Dinagyang next year.

MICHAEL CALING
Thank GOD it was peaceful though chaotic. Hope we did not forget GOD on that one.

DR. THERESE ROBLES
Hope next time the Pasundayag by ABS-CBN should be wholesome to the eyes of the public. Para hindi ma disrupt and momentum sang festival.

STELLA ARUNGAYAN
There was less traffic and less untoward incidents compared to previous years. But the loud speakers on the streets were not necessary! The drums were loud and noisy enough!

ELIZA JUNE VERDE-PAGTANAC
Good that we had judges not from Iloilo – Fair Judging!

CALOY BORJA
Boring na!

DENNIS LOCSIN
None… I took my own advice and skipped town for the weekend.

MARTIN SORIANO
I'm going out of writing hybernation for a while to write extensively about this. DINAGYANG commercialization is fine with me, but what ABS-CBN did on the grandstand (you should be familiar with the incident by now) was too much... puede ba? Insa daw nang-amo ang DINAGYANG sa ABS-CBN haw? Que horrors mi darlings – it was simply too much. It was an insult to our I.Q.

RONNIE GABALDA
It has become too commercialized wherein practically only big companies with obscene budgets can join. We need to examine the lockout / exclusivity policy.

DR. KRISTIN TREÑAS
The only STARS I want to see are the participating tribes, their costumes and their performance! Over all, it was peaceful and well attended.

LYDIA PENDON
Too many Ati-Atihan tribes, some not worth seeing.

BOY FLORETE
The Dinagyang should start early with no interruptions like what ABS-CBN did.

ARLENE JUANTONG
Successful, well organized, peaceful coz of strong police visibility, but nothing new. Next year add more surprise gimmicks for everybody.

DR. TONETTE SAQUIAN
Generally peaceful, too many tribes, start the contest on time.

PAMELA AMARILLO
Fabulous ang PEACE and ORDER! And no more….

ATTY. CYRIL REGALADO
The performance should start and end early. Otherwise it was successful.

DR. ED DIAZ
Observation – not quite impressive compared to previous years. Reaction – hindi dapat hinaluan ng ibang performance. Ito'y nakasira ng focus ng mga tao. Suggestion – Huwag haluan ng politika. Never forget that Dinagyang is done in honor of Sr. Sto. Niño.

PHILIPP MATTHYS
Good traffic management, routing and good number and placement of judging areas. Well diversified festivity areas. Insertion of intermission number slightly inappropriate. Miss the days of less commercialization and people smiling. Nevertheless, a great job done by all involved. Let's keep the spirit alive. Go Iloilo !

EDGAR SIA
Certainly the administration of this year's Dinagyang festival is far better than the previous years.

MARTIN PANES
I think we could do it better next year! One way of doing that by intense promotions and ads. Now it started with ABS-CBN with nationwide and worldwide broadcast. Why? Questioning ABS-CBN for interupting the festival? Are this people aware of the exposure we got? HELLO?…

ANGEL DOMINGO
I'm afraid that the true essence of Dinagyang is no longer observed. Most people don't even know what Dinagyang is, the purpose of its celebration. I suggest they further work on its awareness program.

DON PROTACIO
Me thinks, does Dinagyang do justice to defying Ilonggo culture and religiosity if it is the summation of the Ilonggo way of life? I don't know. I have a year to answer that.

DR. CESAR UY
A 50% decrease in the number of drummers could help ease the noise.

MARIE DIVINAGRACIA
Satellite coverage was good except for the poorly done inserted program. Our 15 minutes of fame should have been spent in showcasing the cultural event being celebrated in not a variety show number with poor performance and unprepared host.

ERIC DELOS SANTOS
Very successful, congratulations to Mayor Treñas and the rest of the city government. Next year will be great and successful if we Ilonggos will continue to do our share by inviting more guests and promoting Dinagyang 2006.

BOBBY GARCIA
It became a noontime variety show no longer original, native in concept, where the hell does Kristala fit in with the katutubo. It's not Iloilo , it's ABS-CBN.

KENNETH LERONA
Well done. Kudos to the organizers and prime movers of this year's Dinagyang. Let's keep it up and bring more glory to Iloilo .

LOURDES LIM
It encourages visitors. But because of the incident that happened in Kalibo, there is already fear with some Ilonggos and it affects our business. No shoppers. Very monotonous.

DEO LLAMAS
The 2005 Dinagyang was a success. Thank God no untoward incident happened. But there was just a few hitches with a lady Korean visitor who was maliciously harassed. And the Australian based balikbayans where deprived of the best slots, when they were asking for the tickets since October. We seem to have forgotten our Ilonggo hospitality. Hope we could reeducate our people. These tourists are our guests and partners. Let's take good care of them. Goodwill will be forever. But over all it was a blast.

ANN DIVINAGRACIA
Ask the people watching at the grandstand when tribe number 3 was about to perform…..