A more grandiose celebration is expected of the 2011 Dinagyang Festival to go with its new marketing tagline, "Iloilo’s Best, Nation’s Finest."
City Tourism and Development Officer Benito Jimena explained that the tag line has metamorphosed from what used to be "In the Hall of Fame" as a strategy adopted by the Marketing Committee of the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation Inc (IDFI).
Iloilo’s Best is the "badge of quality" that was released by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Foundation Inc. to recognize quality products of the province.
"Being the best tourism event, a recognition from the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP), we have the right to use those tag lines and phrase. Actually it’s not doing some bragging but it’s just stating the real situation with the Dinagyang Festival," he added.
Meanwhile, on December 16, some 15 Ati-Ati tribes are expected to parade at the city’s major thoroughfares for the "Pamukaw" which aims to raise public awareness on the upcoming event.
Established Track Record
The established track record of the Iloilo Dinagyang Festival is expected to draw more crowd in its 2011 staging, according to City Tourism and Development Officer Benito Jimena.
Looking back the festival was first held as a celebration in honor of Sto. Niño in 1968 and now has already evolved as a vehicle to promote this city as a tourist and investment destination.
The festival is now being handled by the triumvirate of the city government, Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation, Inc (IDFI) and the San Jose Parish, which is also a showcase of the city’s public-private partnership.
It also holds the distinction as being in the Hall of Fame with its declaration as Best Tourism Event in the Philippines for four consecutive years by the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines.
Every year the festival continues to awe its revelers because of the impressive performances shown by Ati tribes dancing to the drumbeats with their warriors donned in colorful costumes.
Meantime, the three-day highlight of the 2011 Dinagyang Festival has been slated January 21-23 featuring the drum and bugle competition or the ‘Tambor, Trumpa, Martsa Musika’ and the Fluvial Procession on the 21st; Kasadyahan Contest on the 22nd and the Ati Tribes competition on the 23rd.
Jimena said that the Marketing and Promotions Committee is now starting to mount materials to again let the public know of the country’s best festival. He added that while "we are running out of time" as far as preparations are concerned, yet Dinagyang has already established a name. (PNA) /MP
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