A blaze of color in Aliwan Fiesta

MANILA, Philippines - Pre-eminent craftsmen in the different regions are set to bring out their most innovative ideas to design floats manifesting regional pride when the nation’s most popular festivals converge in Aliwan Fiesta 2009. 

Fiestas provide excellent opportunities to celebrate Filipino design ingenuity. And with the Aliwan Fiesta offering P500,000 for the grand prize winner of the float competition, the county’s finest artisans are out to mine local folklore and indigenous traditions in crafting the mammoth, full-size mobile dioramas that draw tourists to the highly colorful cultural extravaganza produced by Manila Broadcasting Co. and the Cultural Center of the Philippines, in cooperation with the cities of Manila and Pasay. 

Designs will make use of local fabrics, decorative weaving, paper sculpture, and various forms of folk art arrayed in vibrant colors, along with agricultural produce, plus regional flora and fauna. 

Okkil, originally from the Middle Eastern Islamic art of the Umayyad Dynasty in the eighth century, will also lend a whole repertory of folk motif to carved, woven and brass-cast pieces that contingents from Mindanao will highlight.   

Collectively, the float parade of Aliwan Fiesta will once more emit a blaze of kaleidoscopic color as the participating festivals reflect their own community spirit.

This year, the parade is scheduled on April 25, and will kick off at 4 p.m. in front of the Aliw Theater at the CCP Complex, traversing Roxas Boulevard en route to the Quirino Grandstand where the awarding ceremonies will be held.

Now on its seventh year, Aliwan Fiesta is supported by Smart Communications, Unilab, Tanduay, Unilever, Mr. Donut, Alaska, Coca-Cola, Ensure, M. Lhuillier, Mabuhay Manor, and Liwanag Candles.

For more details, call 832-6125, e-mail [email protected] or log on to the official festival website at www.aliwanfiesta.com.ph 

The MBC, meanwhile, is mounting a photography competition in line with this year’s Aliwan Fiesta.

The contest, which carries the theme “Sining Makulay,” seeks to highlight the colorful and exquisite craftsmanship of the Pinoy, as seen through the various art forms manifested in the Aliwan Fiesta — whether in dance, float design or in the festival queen pageant. 

The competition is open to both amateur and professional photographers, using digital or film-based cameras. 

Photos must have been taken during the competition period and should not have won nor have been published in any book or photography magazine. 

Entries must be printed in full color on any brand of photo paper in 8R size (8 x 10 inches). The name of the photographer should not appear on the face of the entry.

Contestants are allowed a maximum of three entries each. These should be submitted to Eloi Baltazar at the MBC office, Sotto St., CCP Complex, Pasay City in an envelope with an Aliwan Fiesta Photo Competition entry form in triplicate (one copy attached to the photograph, one for the receiving staff, and the third for the photographer-entrant).

A prize of P50,000 are at stake for the first prize winner, P25,000 for the second place, and P10,000 for the third place.

All entries become the property of MBC, which will have the right to reproduce, exhibit or publish the images for promotional purposes, indicating and acknowledging the photographer. 

Deadline for submission of entries is on May 15 at 5 p.m. Complete details and registration form are downloadable from the official website at www.aliwanfiesta.com.ph.