Dinagyang Ati champ retains title

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Tribu Panayanon of the Iloilo City National High School bested nine other contesting groups to retain its crown in the Ati-atihan dance competition in the Dinagyang Festival.

Panayanon, portraying the Hinilawod or Epic of Panay with giant bat and rat, went home with the P175,000 cash prize as it retained its Dinagyang crown.

Tribu Panayanon also bagged special and minor awards: Best in Choreographer for Rommel Flogem, Best in Costume Designer (Totong Guillagerin), Best in Musical Director (Jeepy Henson), and the Best in Music, Best in Costume and Best in Discipline. It also bagged the Best Performing Group award during the Dinagyang opening salvo competition.

Tribu Ilonganon of Jalandoni Memorial High School was declared first runner-up, taking P150,000 prize, in the Ati competition, and for the opening salvo got the Best in Costume and the Best in Discipline awards.

Ati's second runner-up was Tribu Salognon of Jaro National High School with a cash prize of P125,000; third runner-up was Tribu Paghidaet of Paghidaet of LaPaz National High School (P100,000); and fourth runner-up was Tribu Baybayanon of Melchor Nava National High School in Arevalo district (P75,000).

For the Kasadyahan contest among all festivals in Western Visayas, the Pintaflores Festival of San Carlos City won the Best Performance award that carried a P150,000 cash prize.

The Panayanon tribe will also get a chance to perform in Canada for a tourism roadshow in key cities there.

Philippine Ambassador to Canada Leslie Gatan, who was here for an Investment Fair last January 21, was impressed with the festival that he extended invitation for a roadshow.

"In August or September Dinagyang might go on a tour that includes Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver," said Mabilog as he intended to call for a multi-sector consultation about plans for Dinagyang sometime in February

Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog however said a limited number of the contingent will travel for the Canada show, but the entire group will travel to Singapore for another show.

Mabilog wanted to bring Panayanon tribe to countries with direct flights from Iloilo, specifically Hong Kong and Singapore.  "With almost P4-million being spent for Aliwan Fiesta, the funds could be used instead to go global; we need to level up and promote Dinagyang not only here in the Philippines but also abroad," he said.

Mabilog explained that this will give overseas Filipino workers the opportunity to see Dinagyang for themselves and hopefully encourage them to come home to Iloilo and join in the actual celebration every January. (FREEMAN)