Iloilo up to regain top titles in Aliwan Fiesta
Traffic in the city's streets leading to Iloilo Freedom Grandstand will be closed Friday for the send off party for this year's Dinagyang Festival winners Tribu Ilonganon and Tribu Kahilwayan. The two tribes will represent Iloilo in the 2007 Aliwan Fiesta in Metro Manila. (See related story)
Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation Inc. (IDFI) executive director Ben Jimena said there will be a mass in the morning at the San Jose de Placer church. Traffic will be closed by 3 p.m. as the two tribes will parade from the Iloilo Provincial Capitol until the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand.
Jimena urged the Ilonggos to watch the tribes and take a glimpse of the performance they will present in Manila. The two tribes will leave Iloilo on April 25, 2007 for the competition which is slated on April 26 to 28, 2007. Both,the Tribu Ilonganon and Tribu Kahilwayan will compete in the cultural dance competition.
Other than the cultural presentation, there will also be floral competition and Reyna ng Aliwan Beauty Contest. For the cultural dance parade, the prizes at stake are P1 million for the 1st prize, P500,000 for the 2nd prize, P250,000 for the prize. Seven runner ups will also receive a cash prize of P50,000 each.
For the float competition, 1st prize winner will receive P500,000; 2nd prize P250,000; 3rd prize P100,000. Fourth to 10th winners will receive P25,000 each. And for the Reyna ng Aliwan Beauty contest, the first prize winner will receive P50,000; 2nd prize P20,000 and P10,000 for the 3rd to 5th prize winners.
Jimena said, IDFI will shoulder all the expenses for the trip of the two tribes as they were not able to get financial support from the local government units (LGUs) due to the election banning period.
He, however, said that whatever funds used will be replenished later.
Jimena said, Tribu Ilonganon had committed that they will give P500,000 to the foundation should they win the first place in the cultural dance competition.
As of yesterday, the estimated expenditures for the trip amounted to P1.3 million.