Sole Escape: Dinagyang Festival 2016 - Merry Making at the Start of the Year!

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Dinagyang Festival 2016 - Merry Making at the Start of the Year!

It has been a yearly ritual and custom for me to visit Iloilo and cover the Dinagyang Festival activities. I don't really know, maybe because it's one of the most colorful and really rocking festivals in the country. From the tribal drum beats, to flamboyant props and costumes and stunning choreography and acts. The performers never stray from tradition and they ensure that the feast is joyously celebrated for their patron. [Read More]

Dinagyang Festival in IloIlo is an important function in Philippines’ events calendar. It’s marked on the fourth Sunday of January yearly, right after Sinulog.

The festival is held to show reverence of Santo Nino as well as to mark the onset of the arrival of Malay immigrants. This is an indelible part of Philippines’ history, so much so that locals sometimes use it as a reference point for the historical events that led to the establishment of the festival as a prominent practice.
The celebration of Santo Nino is marked with flamboyant costumes and traditional dances. The fun in this, especially for visitors, lies in getting acquainted with the local culture as well as getting a glimpse into the daily happenings in the country.

This celebration to honor Santo Nino is a three-day affair that is scheduled for January as aforementioned. Those planning to tour Philippines in the first month of the year will be lucky to attend this colourful event.

Even for those who do not make it to attend the event, there is the option of visiting the exhibition where all the action is captured and framed for posterity’s sake. The exhibition is held at City Hall which remains open between Monday and Thursday from 8AM to 5PM.

The party is held in Iloilo City, hence the name IloIlo Dinagyang Festival. Look out for the innovation that has accompanied this festival over the years as this has influenced the manner in which other functions are celebrated across Philippines. As one of the many key festivals on the island country, there is every reason why you should make efforts to attend one.