Dinagyang Festival braces for changes in 2012

CHANGES will be made in the 2012 Dinagyang Festival to make it more spectacular to attract more guests and tourists, said Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog.

In a launching of the 2012 festival at SM City here last November 11, 2011, Mabilog led the signing of a memorandum of agreement with Fr. Achilles Secio of the San Jose Parish and Ramon Cua Locsin, chairman of Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation Inc.

Mabilog said the changes will include the Sto. Niño image of the Parish of Sto. Niño de Arevalo to meet and greet the arrival of the Sto. Niño de Cebu.

Another major change includes the staging of the first performance at the Iloilo Sports Complex that will accommodate more than 30,000 people.

The sports complex, front of Western Institute of Iloilo, Iloilo Provincial Capitol and the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand will be used to stage performances.

Mabilog said there will be 13 Ati-atihan tribes to vie for honors during the final day of the festival. Highlights of the Dinagyang Festival is slated on January 21-22, 2012. (Lydia C. Pendon)

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Miss Universe Gloria Diaz, Venus Raj and Shamcey Supsup to judge Iloilo Dinagyang 2012

The Miss Iloilo Dinagyang 2012 will likely have as judges Bb. Pilipinas beauties who won in international competitions.

This was announced by Alex G. Soncio, the over-all chairman of the Miss Iloilo Dinagyang 2012 in a recent meeting of the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation Inc.’s working committees.

Soncio said they will invite 1969 Miss Universe Gloria Diaz, 2010 Miss Universe fourth runner-up Venus Raj and 2011 Miss Universe 3rd runner-up Shamcey Supsup.

Soncio has ABS-CBN as co-presenter in the 2012 search for the city’s Ambassadress of Goodwill.

Already, 11 beauties have been chosen to vie for the title in a ceremony slated January 18 at the Central Philippine University gym.

The candidates who made their courtesy call before Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog last week were formally presented to the public and yesterday afternoon at the SM City activity center.

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Iloilo Sports Complex venue of Dinagyang 2012 competition

By MONTESA GRINO-CAOYONAN

It’s final. The “grand performance” of the competing tribes for the Dinagyang Festival 2012 will be witnessed at the Iloilo Sports Complex in La Paz, Iloilo City.

Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor, Sr. has approved the proposal of the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation Inc. (IDFI) to use the sports complex as the final judging area.

Yesterday afternoon, the IDFI through its President Ramon Cua Locsin together with City Tourism Officer Benito Jimena had presented to the governor their proposed plan on how to protect the facility especially the rubberized track oval, as well as the painted volleyball and basketball courts against possible damage.

On the same day, the governor with the IDFI officials personally visited the Iloilo Sports Complex for inspection.

As agreed, the competing tribes will perform on the cemented floor being used as basketball and volleyball courts which is in front of the stage. Also, the foundation will be placing plywood and fences on some parts of rubberized oval which will be included on the 40X 70 performance area needed by the performing tribes. The governor also advised the IDFI to secure the drainage near the basketball and volleyball courts against possible incidents since it is only covered by removable grills.

Defensor wants also to make the field off-limits to viewers, who will just remain seated on the grandstand. The governor said he is open to the said as long as the IDFI and the city government will take good care of the facility.

“All cost needed for the repair and rehabilitation including the safety of all the participants will be shouldered by the foundation. The provincial government will not spend any centavo on the rehabilitation pertaining to the preparation for the festival,” said Defensor.

Meanwhile, Jimena said one of the main reasons why they want to use the sports complex as the final judging area is that it can accommodate more spectators. He said Dinagyang Festival is known as one of the Best Tourism Events in the country that has been attracting millions of viewers around the world.

Jimena said sports complex can accommodate almost 25,000 people while the Freedom Grandstand could only accommodate around 5,000 persons.

“We will obey the agreement we both greed with the governor. We promised the governor that we will take care and be responsible to any damage,” Jimena said.

JUDGING AREAS

The Iloilo Sports Complex will serve as Judging Area No. 1, instead of the usual Iloilo Freedom Grandstand. The Holy Mass that is being held before the Ati-ati competition will be at the complex also, instead of the San Jose Parish Church.

The Judging Area No. 2 will be in front of the St. Clements Church on Luna Street, La Paz district; Judging Area No. 3 will be near the old Capitol building while Judging Area No. 4 will be at the Freedom grandstand.

Jimena said other common activities like food festival and live bands within the downtown area will remain as in the original plan.

Dinagyang 2012 is set on January 21-22 with the theme “Beyond Awards, a Culture of Excellence.”*

iloilonewstoday.com

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Aquino may not attend Dinagyang 2012

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III may not make it for the Dinagyang Festival in January 21-22, 2012 as his schedule is already booked for different advanced appointments.

Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, however, is unfazed, saying he is doing his best to have Aquino during the festival and inaugurate at least four major city infrastructure projects.

The projects include the new Iloilo City Hall, City Community College, as well as the Esplanade and the Lanit relocation site for informal settlers.

The seven-storey new city hall was built at almost P700 million; the school at P25 million, donated by businessman Edgar Sia of Mang Inasal; the Esplanade project initiated by Senator Franklin Drilon was at P48 million; and the housing project for more than 2,000 displaced informal settler-families at the Lanit relocation site in Jaro district was at P244 million.

Mabilog said the city is a recipient of P144 million housing grant from the National Housing Authority and P100 million from the Office of the President.

Another P100 million grant from the Department of Social Welfare and Development core shelter program will house another 1,000 squatter families.

Meanwhile, the Dinagyang Festival 2012 will have other confirmed guests to include the Ambassadors of the United States and South Africa, officials of Daly City, California, USA, Senators Antonio Trillanes and Franklin M. Drilon, among others. (Lydia C. Pendon)

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