DAGOY

Dagoy is the towering six feet nine inches tall three dimension mascot that has evolved from just a mere icon.

His birth is a product of imagination and desire, not just by a single person but also of people who are working diligently to make the Dinagyang Festival a part of everyone's day-to-day life.

lloilo Dinagyang Foundation Inc. (IDFI), executive director Ben Jimena related that the mascot now is the once caricature used by the marketing group headed by Francis de la Cruz as a promotional material. This happened in 2002, the first time the festival was handled by the foundation.

Chris Bayani, an artist from Manila , drawing inspiration from his adopted daughter, delicately prepared the sketch of the icon that was later made as the official logo of the festival.

His faces then were seen on posters, t-shirts and streamers everywhere. Years later, the foundation tapped the expertise of the San Pablo Sineng Laya Corporation based in Las Pinas, Manila to prepare a life-size mascot of Dagoy.

Dagoy's first public appearance was on December 11, 2004 at D' Fort in Taguig during the official launching of the festival in Manila . He made his presence felt in lloilo City during the Pamukaw on December 18, 2004 .

He has also attended the opening of the Dinagyang exhibits at the SM City on January 10, 2005 , his first public appearance for this year. Jimena stressed though that aside from the Dinagyang-related activities he is also expected to attend various special occasions of the city to make the public more aware of the annual festival.

"Wherever Dagoy goes people will be reminded of the Dinagyang festival," Jimena stressed. "Once Dagoy shakes your hand, it simply means that you are welcome to lloilo."

Jimena described Dagoy as a friendly Aeta kid. He's a lovable child and very attractive to other children.

Dagoy wears a fiberglass headdress bearing the picture of the Sto. Nino. The dominant colors are black and gold. He also has a camel-colored "bahag," the typical attire of Aetas.

He is holding a drum made of fiberglass with the logo of the lloilo City government printed at the center. His hands and feet are adorned with multi-colored bracelets, similar to the one being worn by an ati-ati warrior.

He is expected to have a change in outfit every year, though. Jimena said they are going to copy the costume of the tribe that will be declared as best in costume every Dinagyang contest.

Just like any other kid Dagoy will have his own christening, a symbol of welcoming him to the Christian world on January 14, the day of the opening salvo at the San Jose Parish church in Plaza Libertad.

From there he will be placed side by side with the Sto. Nino de Cebu in an open van and they are going to tour the city, following the route of the parade.

In the coming years, expect more innovations to come, according to Jimena. He said their group never gets tired thinking of what is best for the festival. And the birth of Dagoy after 36 long years is just but one of those innovations they have made.