Dinagyang Festival

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Lesson Transcript

Hello, and welcome to the Culture Class- Holidays in the Philippines Series at FilipinoPod101.com. In this series, we’re exploring the traditions behind Filipino holidays and observances. I’m Eric, and you're listening to Season 1, Lesson 12, Dinagyang Festival. In Filipino, it’s called Dinagyang Festival.

The Dinagyang Festival is celebrated in a town called Iloilo every fourth week of January in honor of the Holy Child. Dinagyang is a word from the Ilonggo-dialect which roughly translated means "to celebrate and have fun." This is one of the many festivals held in honor of the Holy Child, just like the Ati-Atihan of Aklan and the Sinulog of Cebu.

Now, before we get into more detail, do you know the answer to this question-

What is the name of the mascot of the Dinagyang Festival?

If you don't already know, you’ll find out a bit later. Keep listening.

The Dinagyang festival was first given the name "Iloilo Ati-Atihan" to distinguish it from the Ati-Atihan of Aklan. It began in 1967 when a replica of the Holy Child from Cebu was brought to Iloilo. The image was welcomed by the devotees upon landing at the airport and was paraded on the streets of Iloilo. At first, the festival was only recognized in the parish, but as more and more groups continued to participate, the celebrations became more elegant and lively with each passing year.

One of the main events of the festival is the Kasadyahan. It is a dramatization of the life of the Aetas when the chieftains arrived from Borneo and the subsequent colonization of the island by the Spaniards. This is presented through the medium of dance and is often referred to as a parade of folk dance, or katutubong sayaw, as it displays several aspects of traditional customs, and due to the color and beauty of the dancers' costumes, or kasuotan. The most important criteria for winning this competition are the participants’ dramatization and dance skills.

All dances are performed to the accompaniment of drums, and all the dancers' costumes are made of native materials. Like the Ati-Atihan of Aklan, the dancers paint their skin black, or in Filipino itim.

One of the most anticipated highlights of the Dinagyang is the Iloilo Ati-Ati Dance Competition. In this competition, the dance theme is tribal, and it truly grabs people's attention because of the elegance, or in Filipino garbo, of costumes and the vitality of the dancers’ every movement.

It is said that the Dinagyang and the Ati-Atihan began when the ten chieftains of Borneo bought Panay from the Aetas. This is noted in the Legend of Maragtas, also known as the Code of Maragtas, which details their arrival to Panay to escape the tyranny of Datu Makatunaw of Borneo.

Now it's time to answer our quiz question-

What is the name of the mascot of the Dinagyang Festival?

Dagoy is the name of Dinagyang's mascot. It was first introduced as the official mascot in 2004. It is portrayed as a young Aeta warrior with brown skin and wearing a headdress with a design symbolizing the Holy Child. It is a symbol of friendship between the locals and the tourists visiting Iloilo to witness the Dinagyang.