Iloilo's Dinagyang Festival draws local, int'l audience, in Manila
Ben Jimena
The city government of Iloilo and the Dinagyang Foundation are all set to bring the country's best tourism event, the Dinagyang Festival, to international and national audiences on December 9-10, 2006.
This was announced by Dinagyang Festival executive director Ben Jimena after preparations were finalized in bringing the Dinagyang tribe and dancers to Marikina City for special performances hosted by Marikina City Mayor Marides C. Fernando on December 9.
The next day, the Dinagyang Festival and official mascot Dagoy will be at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City for the formal launching of Dinagyang 2007 and a press conference for international and national media exposures. Invited to the launching are Manila-based travel writers and news reporters of broadsheets, magazines, radio and television networks. Also invited are foreign reporters.
The launching is timely since thousands of foreigners are in Metro Manila for the upcoming ASEAN Summit to be held in Cebu on December 11-15, 2006.
The biggest shopping mall in the country is expected to be full of people to see the sights and hear the sounds of Dinagyang and Ilonggos who can not go home to Iloilo on January are invited to see the Dinagyang Festival. A photo exhibit and video presentation will be held the whole day at the Mall of Asia.
Jimena said that thousands of foreign delegates would still be in Manila waiting for the arrival of 17 heads of states on December 12 to go to Cebu. The foreign delegates through their Manila embassies were invited to see how Ilonggos celebrate the festival and venerate the Sto. Nino as official patron saint of Iloilo City.
Dinagyang's Tribu Atub-Atub will be focal performer to drum up the festivities slated in Iloilo City on the last week of January 2007.
Mascot Dagoy of Dinagyang is also slated to go around the major cities of the Philippines to invite and show-off the Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo City.
Jimena said bringing Dinagyang Festival, the recently recognized top tourism event by the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP), is supported by the Dinagyang Foundation chaired by Lee Chuan and City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas.
(PNA)