Ilo-ilo City Sights and sounds of Dinagyang Festival - Must Experience!

Ilo-ilo City Dinagyang Festival 2017 - JAY GADONG/CONTRIBUTOR

Sights and sounds of Dinagyang

The streets of Iloilo turn festive today as street dancers liven up the celebration in honor of Sto. Nino

ILOILO CITY—It’s the merriest time of the year in this capital of Iloilo province as about a million Sto. Niño devotees, spectators and revelers poured into the streets for this year’s Dinagyang Festival.

The festival highlights the Kasadyahan contest—a showcase of festivals, products and history of participating towns—that was held yesterday and the Ati tribe competition slated Sunday.

The Dinagyang, one of the festivals held in January in honor of the Sto. Niño (Holy Child Jesus), is known for the colorful brisk performances of Ati tribes in a street dance competition.

The groups and tribes competing in the two major events performed in five judging areas: Freedom Grandstand, in front of the Iloilo provincial capitol, corner Mabini and Delgado Streets, corner Quezon and Ledesma Streets, and in front of the Maria Clara stage.

Ten groups joined the Kasadyahan Regional Cultural Competition Saturday. These were Tribu Salakayan of Miag-ao town in Iloilo province, Tribu Tatusan (Caluya town in Antique province), Tinabu-ay Festival (Murcia town, Negros Occidental province), Pintados de Pasi (Passi City in Iloilo), Tribu Manog-Gama (Maasin town in Iloilo), Tribu Patabang (Tapaz town in Capiz province), Hubon Ninagtong sa Manggahan (Nueva Valencia town in Guimaras province), Tribu Haw-as (Dumangas town in Iloilo), Tribu Dos Once (San Carlos City in Negros Occidental) and Masskara Festival (Bacolod City), a noncompeting guest performer.

Ten tribes are competing for the championship in the Ati tribe competition Sunday.

These are Paghidaet of La Paz National High School, Obreros of Barrio Obrero National High School, Pan-ay of Fort San Pedro National High School, Amihan of Mandurriao National High School, Buntatalanit of Tiu Cho Teg Ana Ros Foundation Integrated School, Salognon of Jaro National High School, Dagatnon of Ramon Avanceña National High School, Panayanon of Iloilo City National High School, Ilonganon of Jalandoni Memorial National High School and Abiador of Asian College of Aeronautics.

Two guest tribes are also performing Sunday.

Security measures had been tightened in the city. Police said they asked telecommunication companies to shut down mobile phone signals during the festival’s main events, from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Security risk assessments

Senior Supt. Remus Zacharias Canieso, chief of the Iloilo City police, said specific security measures depended on the local police’s security risk assessments.

“We had not received reports or monitored threats,” he said.

Cell phone signals were shut down in specific areas, lasting for several hours, in Cebu City during the Sinulog Festival last weekend as part of the security measures against explosive devices detonated through mobile phones.

The move came after the twin blasts in Hilongos town in Leyte province on Dec. 28, which left 32 people watching a boxing match in the town plaza wounded. Police said two improvised explosive devices were used in the bombing.

The Iloilo police have banned canned and bottled drinks during the Dinagyang Festival to ensure the safety of spectators.

Police have also implemented a three-day gun ban, starting Friday, as part of security measures. All permits to carry firearms outside of residence had been suspended in the city during the festival period.  – Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Pia Wurtzbach tears up after Shugart calls her 'a hard act to follow'

Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach reacts as she was announced as the new Miss Universe at the Miss Universe pageant. Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez was incorrectly named as Miss Universe before her crown was taken away. (AP Photo/John Locher)

The outgoing Miss Universe queen Pia Wurtzbach was reduced to tears when she learned that the Miss Universe organization President Paula Shugart believes she was one of a kind.

In an interview with Boy Abunda at “Bottomline” Saturday evening, the Philippines bet that won the Miss Universe title in 2015 tried to fight back tears when Abunda told her what Shugart had said about her.

“Pia is a hard act to follow, because she defined this. She made it her own, and I’m definitely going to miss her. I will be crying,” Abunda quoted Shugart as saying.

“I’ll be crying too,” Wurtzbach said, trying to dab away her tears.

“Oh my gosh, I told myself I wasn’t going to cry!”

Wurtzbach won the most controversial Miss Universe title after host Steve Harvey wrongly crowned Miss Colombia as the queen, only to correct himself after and announce that the Philippines’ bet won the crown.

Wurtzbach has led an advocacy for HIV awareness during her one-year reign as the queen who ended the 42-year title drought for the Philippines.

She said Shugart’s words were the best compliments she has ever heard since she won the crown, and it made her feel that she has done her part as the Miss Universe.

“That’s the best compliment for me, because that’s exactly what I wanted to do during my reign,” Wurtzbach said.

She said she wanted to be her own instead of copying the footsteps of other queens before her.

“I didn’t want to copy any former Miss Universe title holder. I just want to be myself,” Wurtzbach said.

She said she did not want to be remembered as the typical beauty queen, and that she wanted to make her personality shine during her reign.

“I want to be remembered as a different kind of beauty queen, na hindi very rehearsed and robotic. I just want to be myself. And to hear that … it’s really the best thing,” Wurtzbach said between sniffs.

“I”m going to miss them, too. And I’m so happy and grateful, that they took care of me,” she added.

Wurtzbach said she wanted to return the favor to the Miss Universe organization by doing her best even after she turns over the crown.

“I’m going to make them proud. I feel like that’s the best gift I can give back to them,” Wurtzbach said.

“The way I can think of giving back is just continuing her legacy that she taught me,” she said of Shugart.

After her reign, Wurtzbach would be serving as a Miss Universe ambassador, and was also set to appear as special guest in the fifth cycle of the model search “Asia’s Next Top Model.”  JE/rga – Philippine Daily Inquirer

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