Dinagyang theme apt for country's present political situation
Iloilo City -- Amid the political turmoil gripping the country, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treņas exhorted political leaders to heal wounds and unite for the betterment of our nation. He made this call during the opening salvo of 2006 Iloilo Dinagyang Festival last Friday.
Treņas said this year's theme "Healing Through Devotion to Sto. Niņo" is appropriate for our country's leaders. He noted that the country is always in turmoil because of our political leaders' attitude.
Treņas observed that in Iloilo City, the unity of the political leaders are shown through the degree of cooperation they have in the yearly Dinagyang festival which is in honor of Sr. Sto. Niņo. He said local officials normally join hands for the success of the festival.
Treņas added that it is the patron saint Sr. Sto. Niņo that gives the Ilonggos strength to continue the holding of the festival. He said it is the people's devotion to Sr. Sto. Niņo that made them strong and positive on the success of the festival.
The opening salvo last Friday started with the parade of seven participating tribes in the Kasadyahan festival in the morning and parade of 20 participating Ati tribes in the afternoon. Hundreds of people trooped to the city's main thoroughfares to witness the opening salvo.
During the opening salvo on Friday afternoon, two contesting tribes in the Dinagyang festival, Tribu Bantu and Angola have already made their initial performance before the chief executive has declared the opening of the festival.
Coinciding with the opening salvo was the arrival of the oldest Sto. Niņo in the country the Sto. Niņo de Cebu. The image, fetched by San Jose parish priest Fr. Roy Margallo from Cebu, arrived around 2 p.m. at the Iloilo Airport.
The Sto. Niņo de Cebu was welcomed by Treņas, officials of the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation and this year's hermano mayor Oscar Ledesma Arenas and his wife Rose.
The image was then brought to the San Jose church in Plaza Libertad through a motorcade participated by a number of vehicles. Students of Catholic schools located along the motorcade route threw confetti and flowers as the image, displayed on top of a pick up, pass by.
Upon arrival at the San Jose church the Sto. Niņo de Cebu was enthroned in the altar then a holy mass was celebrated in its honor.