2010 Dinagyang season starts

ILOILO CITY – Let the drums begin its roar and let the dancers sway to the beat of Dinagyang as the 2010 festival season started, October 16, 2009 at the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand.

The city government and the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation launched the 41th year of Dinagyang Festival as this city’s premier tourist attraction and best practice of concreting partnership between the government and private sector.

City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas led the afternoon launching rites after a motorcade and mass and declared the start of the 2010 Dinagyang season amidst blaring Dinagyang drums and dance exhibitions by Tribu Pan-ay of Fort San Pedro National High School and Tribu Silak of the Iloilo City National High School.

A thanksgiving mass and signing of a memorandum of agreement between the foundation officials and Treñas highlighted the season opening to be held at the Macario Peralta Park just behind the grandstand.

A video presentation on the accomplishment report of Dinagyang 2009 festival and the 2010 plan to sustain the glory that is purely Dinagyang climaxed the program.

The city mayor, assisted by Dinagyang chairman Lee Chuan and San Jose Parish priest Fr. Achilles Secio awarded certificates of appreciation and tokens participating tribes, individuals and corporations who have made Dinagyang a huge success last year.

The Dinagyang Festival is the only festival awarded by the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines as the best tourism event in the country for three consecutive years.

Represented by Tribu Paghidaet, the Dinagyang Festival copped second place in last year’s Aliwan Festival held in Metro Manila while another Dinagyang participant, the Tribu Kasag of Banate, Iloilo copped second place in the same national tilt.

By Lydia C. Pendon