Issues on construction of 'side stages' resolved
Workers put up portable comfort rooms at the food
festival area along Valeria-Delgado streets in
preparation for the Dinagyang highlights this
weekend.
The conflict between a group of barangay captains and the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation Inc. (IDFI) regarding the placement of secondary stages in Quezon-Ledesma streets and Maria Clara area has already been resolved.
IDFI executive director Ben Jimena said the contractors of the stages for the two performance areas have agreed to allocate a portion where the barangay captains could put up their own "side stages".
The stage for judging area number 3 is operated by the Rotary Club and stage 4 by the Philippine National Red Cross.
Earlier, several barangay captains from the City Proper complained that they were barred by the contractors of the two stages from putting up "side stages".
They claimed that in previous years they were given the opportunity to put up "side stages" as part of their fund-raising.
Jimena said the stage operators have agreed to a "compromise" with the barangay captains in order to accommodate more spectators.
Jimena, however, clarified that the matter regarding the placing of side stages was not raised during the previous meetings with the committee on stage chaired by City Engineer Marito Amatorio.
He said the committee thought that they (barangay captains) were no longer interested in putting up the side stages. San Agustin Barangay Captain Bobby Divinagracia represented the barangay captains in the meetings.