Top 15 Dinagyang tribes to get subsidy
The Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation, Incorporated (IDFI) recently revealed that only the top 15 ranked in this year's Dinagyang Festival will be given subsidy for next year's competition which is slated on January 27th,2008.
The top 10 will be given a 100% subsidy, while the 11th to15th places will receive 75 % subsidy. The rest of the tribes not named in the ranking may still participate but they have to look for their own sponsors.
IDFI executive director Benito Jimena said that the purpose of this is to further motivate the various tribes in making their presentations better and grander each year. "It always brings us pride to hear that the festival is world-class, so to ensure that it will sustain its standards, the IDFI has decided to subsidize only the top 15 tribes of this year's competition," Jimena said.
The top ten tribes are Tribus Ilonganon, Paghidaet, Ang Taga Jaro, Silak, Atub-Atub, San Pedro, Baryohanon, Molavi, Aninipay and Kalubihan.
The 11th to 15th tribes on the other hand, are Pagasa, Pana-ad, Dagyaw Ta, Familia Sagrada and Parianon.
Subsidy shall be released on a staggered basis depending on the availability of funds provided the tribe officials have done the following: signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the IDFI; submitted a budget and filled out a contest entry form. No final amount for the subsidies has yet been declared.
Meanwhile, Jimena said that the IDFI will also be implementing new policies and rulings for Dinagyang Festival 2008 to ensure a better festival. One major change is that instead of five judging areas, there will only be four next year, namely, Freedom Grandstand, Provincial Capitol at the Bonifacio Drive approach to the LaPuz bridge, Corner Quezon-Ledesma and Maria Clara. (EAM/PIO)