Iloilo’s First Arts Festival

Text by Wein P. Gadian
Photos by A. Chris Fernandez

The first Iloilo Arts Festival celebration commenced on September 26 and ends today, October 3, 2005. It is a depiction of Iloilo’s rich cultural heritage. The festival is a joint project of the Iloilo Convention Bureau and the Iloilo Arts Council headed by Dr. Teresa Sarabia.

The festivity was a showcase of the countless arts and culture of Ilonggos with the Arte Iloilo arts exhibit in SM City and Bayle Ilonggo last September 29 at the Robinson’s Fountain Area as the highlight of the event. Other activities included arts workshops, art tours and more.

Arte Iloilo was participated in by artist groups; Busilak, C’Galleria, Circulo Artist Group, Hubon Madiaas and independent artists of Iloilo and the other towns. Their works were in their different styles of still life, realistic, abstract, sculpture, installations and more. The artists also experimented on the use of different mediums of acrylic, oil, mixed media, mixed digital to name a few. The said exhibit was organized by Zonta Club of Iloilo City and SM City.

Bayle Ilonggo on the other hand was focused on festival dances which depicted our beliefs, tradition and culture. A couple from the Binanog Tribe of Lambunao performed the traditional courtship dance; ‘binanog’ and the Pag-asa Tribe of the Dinagyang in their dance honoring the Child Jesus.

Other dances were performed by the city’s best dance troupes:  Hugyaw Arts Company of St. Therese-MTC Colleges (ST-MTCC), Irong-Irong Dance Company of West Visayas State University (WVSU) and the Kawilihan Dance Troupe of the University of San Agustin (USA). Hugyaw showed their best in their Tultugan Kalatong, Panulo sa Baybayon, Karatong Bunga kang Mangga and Tinikling. Irong-irong also wowed the audience in their Recuerdos de Capiz, Tatay Meroy Cariñosa, Inalimango, Pasingin and La Jota Concordiana. And the Kawilihan’s mixed of folk dance and ballet in Rural Suite, Itik-itik, Maglalatik, Paseo de Iloilo and La Jota San Joaquina. Street Jazz was also performed by the Irong-Irong and Kawilihan Dance Company.

The festival was a promotion of Iloilo’s best arts and more can be expected in next year’s Arts Festival.