Dinagyang to continue joining Aliwan Fiesta
Dinagyang executive director Ben Jimena said Iloilo City's Dinagyang Festival will still join next year's Aliwan Fiesta in Manila although it did not win this year's top prize.
Jimena said the yearly competition is a venue for the city to promote the festival. The Dinagyang festival has been invited to perform in different areas in the country because of their exposure in the Aliwan Fiesta.
Jimena, who is also the City Tourism Office chief said though, the crown for the best festival is very elusive to the Dinagyang Festival and yet Iloilo remains a favorite among the crowd. The yells and cheers of the spectators will always give the tribe the strength, honor and pride to perform in different cities, Jimena said.
The Dinagyang Festival which is represented by Tribu Ilonganon of the Jalandoni Memorial National High School got the second place while Sinulog of Cebu retained the title as the best festival in the Aliwan Fiesta competition for the dance parade.
It is the Dinagyang Festival that sets the mood and style of presentation in the Aliwan Fiesta. And only the Dinagyang Festival was able to perform in the SM Mall of Asia. It makes a difference among the different festivals in the country.
For the past two years, the choreography and presentation at the Aliwan Fiesta were either like the performances seen during the Kasadyahan and ati competition or Dinagyang proper. Performers also bring along with them a Sto. Nino image and dressed like a native Aeta.
In the reported misjudgment, Jimena said the decision of the judges is final. They could not question on how the judges rated the contestants. He, however, asked the organizers to research the judges and their affiliation to all the competing tribes.
The information on misjudgment in the recent Aliwan Fiesta emanated after two of the judges assigned in the Star City were allegedly consultants and choreographers of the Sinulog Festival. The judges came from the National Commission for Culture and Arts.