Iloilo wants to become RP's 'festival capital'
Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation Inc. (IDFI) Executive Director Ben Jimena is pushing for Iloilo City to become the "Festival Capital of the Philippines."
He said, IDFI will be requesting the Sangguniang Panlungsod to pass a resolution asking for a cabinet action, through the Department of Tourism (DoT), for the city to be conferred such title.
He said the resolution will be sponsored by Councilor Armand Parcon, chair of the committee on tourism of the city council. Jimena is confident that the council will favorably grant their request. The resolution will serve as basis for whatever cabinet action on the matter.
Jimena said both the Dinagyang and the Paraw Regatta Festivals have "accomplished a monumental achievement for this year" after they were named as Best Tourism events in the country by the Association of Tourism Officers in the Philippines (ATOP) during their recent convention in Camarines Sur. Last year, ATOP also awarded the same title to the Dinagyang Festival.
He said Dinagyang has been a growing festival and has been recognized by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) as a promotional vehicle in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).
If such request also gets a favorable cabinet action, it would strengthen the claim of Iloilo province as the festival capital of the country since most of the 42 towns and one component city in Iloilo have their own festivals, said Jimena.
Copies of the resolution will be furnished to DoT Secretary Ace Durano, who is from Cebu. Sinulog of Cebu and Dinagyang of Iloilo are tough competitors in different competitions in the country.
Jimena assured, Iloilo is ready to defend its claim should there be questions that may arise from other festival organizers in the future.