Once again, the city of Iloilo is all set for its world renowned annual festival which will take place on January 21-22, 2012 showcasing the best talents from Iloilo City and across the Western Visayas region. On Saturday, January 21 will be the Kasadyahan festival which will see the best festivals around Western Visayas region competing for the top plum of Kasadyahan Festival which will also feature non competing tribes performing for the show like Ati-atihan Festival of Kalibo, Aklan, MassKara Festival of Bacolod City, Negros Occidental and a group from West Visayas State University.
The highlights of the festivities will be on Sunday, January 22 for the Dinagyang Ati Tribe competition. Dubbed as the "Battle of the Champions" will see 13 competing tribes, most of which are former champions and a defending champion to compete for the coveted title as the festival's best!
Dinagyang is an annual festival celebration in honor of Santo Niño held every fourth Sunday of January. Dinagyang started in 1966 with a religious activity honoring the little child Jesus or what we call Santo Niño. In 1967, the replica of the original Sto. Niño was brought to Iloilo City from Cebu. The first Ati tribal dance competition took place in 1970 with Madjapahit Tribe of Compania Maritima winning the first title. The word Dinagyang came from the root word "dagyang" which means merrymaking and was first coined by the late broadcaster Pacifico Sudario in 1977 to mark the start of the festivities. Since then, the festival gained popularity and fame throughout the world getting the attention of the foreign media such as CNN, BBC, National Geographic Channel, MSNBC, TV Asahi of Japan and television stations from Germany and Hong Kong starting in 1998 and 1999 to cover the Dinagyang Festival for their own viewers and also make some souvenir calendars of their respective companies. Learn more about Dinagyang at Dinagyang Festival Official Website
The overall winner of Dinagyang Festival makes a world tour to promote the festival. Last year, Tribu Pan-ay of San Pedro National High School, Ft. San Pedro, Iloilo, winner of Dinagyang Festival 2011 performed in the United States in cities like New York, Philadelphia and New Jersey to celebrate the Philippine Independence Day of the Filipino community in US.
Dinagyang Festival will be on Sunday, January 22 from 7am - 12 noon (Philippine Time). Live streaming will vary and some will start an hour or 2 later. Live streaming of the event can be watch here: Habagat Central Live Streaming of Dinagyang 2012 LIVE at Iloilo Sports Complex The Daily Guardian Live Streaming
Of Dinagyang Festival 2012 Watch Dinagyang 2012 at Choose Philippines website and TFCNow Live Streaming of Dinagyang 2012
