By Mariela Angella Oladive
The Dinagyang Festival 2025 opened with a vibrant start through the Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan Opening Salvo on Jan. 9 at the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand in Iloilo City.
Nine contingents from various municipalities in the province captivated the audience with colorful performances, showcasing their rich cultural identities, traditions, and stories, aligned with Iloilo’s tourism slogan, “Fun, Foodie, Friendly Iloilo.”
The competing contingents included:
- Banaag Festival (Anilao)
- Kaing Festival (Leon)
- Tawili Festival (San Rafael)
- Hirinugyaw Suguidanonay Festival (Calinog)
- Tinuom Festival (Cabatuan)
- Cry of Jelicuon Festival (New Lucena)
- Tangyan Festival (Igbaras)
- Haw-as Festival (Dumangas)
- Tultugan Festival (Maasin)
This event served as a preview of the grand competition scheduled for Jan. 25, where these cultural showcases will take center stage.
In his message, Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. highlighted the festival’s significance in celebrating and promoting Iloilo’s cultural heritage.
“We are presenting our cultural stage—the culture and life of the city and province of Iloilo. Our ‘Fun, Foodie, Friendly’ festival is a mixture of different traditions. We have history, agriculture, and more. This is our contribution to the Dinagyang Festival 2025,” Defensor stated.
The governor emphasized that the festival is not only a competition but also a platform for municipalities to express pride and celebrate their contributions to Iloilo’s cultural identity.
The provincial government allocated PHP 3 million in prizes for the competition, alongside PHP 2 million for smaller municipalities and PHP 1.5 million for larger towns.
Last year, the Tultugan Festival was crowned champion, followed by the Hirinugyaw Suguidanonay Festival as first runner-up and the Kaing Festival as second runner-up.
