Music, revelers dominate Dinagyang celeb
Music literally livened Iloilo City over the weekend with concerts after concerts, shows after shows and street revelry dominating the celebration.
With stages set up all over city proper, name it and the city had it from local bands and guest performers from Manila.
While a rock band did just that, rocked the Capitol audience, comedian and entertainer Allan K kept the revelers in highest of spirits at the Robinson's area Friday evening. Elsewhere then, more performances that continued last night.
Security was visibly tight since Friday's revelry but was heightened yesterday with uniformed police officers, Army soldiers and plainclothes security posted just about every 10 meters of the "fun zones."
At the slightest sign of trouble, police would come in alongside volunteers from barangay tanods. Even the usual complaints of petty crimes in phone snatching or pickpocketing was significantly "slow" and was on the low.
Local revelers were joined in by foreigners in three evenings of dancing and singing and more dancing.
Concerts were simultaneously held in at least six areas of the city's main thoroughfares including the Capitol premises. Such as just about all restaurants and bars shared with the "Dinagyang spirit" either with Dinagyang specials on the menu or simply in festival get-up.
Tourism department sources reached by The News Today (TNT) placed the early estimate of tourist arrivals "at least 5,000." All hotels and pension houses were fully-booked. In fact, one hotelier said, full payments were made as early as November.
As of press time, no major incident was reported to authorities.