Basic HTML Version
80
{ }
F E S T I V A L S E A S O N
Dinagyang
Held during the last Sunday of January,
Dinagyang is Iloilo’s biggest festival with
religious and cultural roots. Honoring the
Santo Niño, the festival is also the best way
to experience the famous Ilonggo hospitality
— you are literally caught up in a whirlwind
of dancing, eating and drinking among the
fun-loving Ilonggos.
The fluvial procession is a site to behold:
devotees bring images of the curly-haired
Santo Niño down the river. On the streets,
a huge parade features a street dancing
competition complete with colour and
choreography, where different “tribes” show
off their dance moves. They also have their
own mascot: Dagoy, a chubby brown Aeta
boy, who wears a crown with the image of
the Santo Niño, warrior-style bracelets and a
loin cloth. How’s that for a touch of kitsch?
Sinulog
Sinulog — or “graceful dance” — is Cebu’s very
own Santo Niño festival held during the third
week of January.
Though the image of the child Jesus was
brought to the island by the conquistador
Ferdinand Magellan in the 16th century, perhaps
the roots of Sinulog are deeper than this;
historians say the pre-Hispanic culture of the
island included worship through music and dance.
Today, Sinulog represents a link to the pagan
past and the Catholic present. It is an explosion of
vibrant colors, drum beats, and dancing in honor
of the Santo Niño. Even non-dancers can join
with the simple two-steps-forward, one-step-back
choreography. Not to be missed is the grand
street parade with the participants in full costume,
as well as the crowning of the Sinulog Queen —
because a good fiesta needs a beauty pageant!