Dinagyang 2011 Quick Guide - Winners, schedules, hotels, activities and more!

Congratulations to the Dinagyang 2011 Festival winners. The crowd favorite Tribu Pan-ay of Fort San Pedro National HIgh School really deserved to win for giving a superb performance garnered a standing ovation in almost every judging area especially the main performance area - Freedom Grandstand. From the start of the festival - I was fortunate enough to watch it live and on television simultaneously. What made Tribu Pan-ay wrestle the crown away from the defending Dinagyang (and Aliwan Festival) champion, Tribu Paghidaet, is the flawless, energetic, different concept, excellent choreography among the tribes. In short, it was a very superb over all performance. So aside from representing Iloilo City in the upcoming Aliwan Festival (I'm sure it'll land in the Top 3, as usual, for ever since the start of the Aliwan Dinagyag had always been in those spots.), Tribu Pan-ay will be performing in New York City, USA in the Philippine Independence day Festivities in June 2011.Meanwhile another upset was staged in the Kasadyahan competition when the 2010 champion (and Aliwan 2010 2nd runner up), Tribu Kasag of Banate, Iloilo failed to defend it's crown and succumb to another tribe of gastronomic proportion - Tribu Pantat of Zarraga, Iloilo. Pantat is the Ilonggo term for hito or catfish and being part of the main produce of the town, it was highlighted to the (gastronomic) delight of the crowd.

Here is the list of winners in major and minor awards for Dinagyang Festival 2001

Ati-ati Competition

CHAMPION: Tribu Pan-ay (Fort San Pedro National High School)
1st runner up: Tribu Paghidaet (Lapaz National High School)
2nd runner up:Tribu Bola Bola (Iloilo National High School)
3rd runner up: Tribu Salognon (Jaro National High School)
4th runner up: Tribu Manduryaw (Mandurriao National High School)

Best in Discipline: Tribu Bola Bola
Best in Costume: Tribu Paghidaet
Best in Music: Tribu Salognon
Best in Choreography: Tribu Pan-ay
Best in Streetdance: Tribu Paghidaet
Best in Headress: Tribu Paghidaet
Best in Performance: Pan-ay

Kasadyahan Festival



CHAMPION: Pantat Festival of Zarraga Ilolo
1st runner up: Kasag Festival of Banate Iloilo
2nd runner up: Binanog Festival of Lambunao
3rd runner up: Pagdihon Festival of Dingle
4th runner up: Tinuom Festival of Cabatuan iloilo

Best in Costume: Binanog Festival of Lambunao Iloilo
Best in Choreography: Pantat Festival of Zarraga Iloilo
Best in Performance: Kasag Festival of Banate Iloilo
Best in Music: Tultugan Festival of Maasin Iloilo

A few more days and counting, Dinagyang Festival 2011 is a sure winner. From the festive sights and sounds to numerous activities that includes those of gastronomic proportions, shopping here and there and all day and night parties - Iloilo City is the place to be this January 21-23. But to make you visit a lot more hassle free so that you won't spend your time asking for directions, getting lost in a small city or just wandering around thinking of what to do, here's a quick guide of where to stay, what to do, where to go, what's in, what's hot and almost everything about Dinagyang 2011. Check the schedule here.

Dinayang 2011 tips, tricks and more

• Dinagyang Festival has both street dancing and a main performance. The former being performed en route to each performance area while the latter - showcase of choreography and rhythm, on four key areas. Arrows indicate the route of street dancing before and after each performance.

• The main performance areas are located in key places around Downtown Iloilo where tickets are need to get a good view. Freedom Grandstand (Performance Area #1) is the most sought after since it is the biggest and it’s the Main performance area. It is also where VIPs converge after hearing mass at the nearby San Jose Church that customary starts the festival. Other performance areas includes The Capitol, Robinsons and Maria Clara areas.
• Street names in red are key streets during the Dinagyang Festivities being part of the parade route and street dance. Some also have activities for entertainment, food festivals, shopping and other activities. The main food festival is located along Delgado Street beside Amigo Plaza mall but numerous food kiosks also offer gastronomic delights. Big malls such as SM City, Robinsons’s Place, Amigo Plaza mall and Plazuela de Iloilo plus the The Capitol grounds also have their own food festivals and related Dinagyang offerings.
• On Friday, a drum and bugle band competition dubbed as “Tambor Trumpa Martsa at Musika” takes place in the morning at Freedom Grandstand. The afternoon hosts a fluvial procession dedicated to the Sto. Nino, along the Iloilo River and a preview of the street dance drumbeats the festivities as competing tribes show a taste of what’s to come.
• Saturday showcases Kasadyahan Festival – a cultural presentation showing the best festivals from Iloilo’s towns, takes place in the morning with main performances and street dance. While the afternoon, a sponsors mardi gras takes place along the route.
• Sunday is the highlight and the main event - Dinagyang Ati-ati tribe competition takes place the whole morning with high calibre performances and street dances.
• Area enclosed by red dotted lines are closed for public transportation (with occasional taxis permitted) as early as Friday morning until Monday morning. Be prepared to walk within and even beyond this area. Generally, it is safe to do so even until midnight as more than a thousand security personnel are being deployed - but of course just be vigilant.
• Afternoons of this three-day festival is best to explore the other attractions of Iloilo since there are no major activities. Calle Real (JM Basa and Iznart Streets) in Downtown Iloilo showcases Iloilo’s colonial past as evidenced in it’s architecture. Discover old mansions, visit the Cathedral, enjoy food and have a glimpse of it’s fiesta when you visit the heritage district of Jaro. Visit Molo for another grand church and pasalubong galore. Villa-Arevalo district is synonymous with seafood restaurants with the likes of Tatoy’s and Breakthrough. Mandurriao got the big malls and is the center of the nightlife in Iloilo City with lots of restaurants, bars and other fun places along Diversion Road and Smallville district. While at it, don't forget to have a taste of the "Flavours of Iloilo".
• Traveling SOUTH of the city brings you more church hopping with lots of gastronomical, heritage and fun in the sun. See a UNESCO World Heritage site – the Miag-ao Church, enjoy the town plaza and church of San Joaquin, Guimbal and Tigbauan. Visit nature parks and beach resorts in Guimbal and Oton. Traveling WEST bring you the oldest golf course in the country – Iloilo Golf and Country Club and more church hopping in Cabatuan, Sta. Barbara and Pavia.
• A quick trip to Guimaras can be managed for beachcombing, nature tripping and island hopping. Best to start is in the morning and back by night. It’s enough to enjoy the scenery and attractions plus pasalubong shopping and a 2-hour island hopping from Alubihod beach would bring you “worlds away”.
• A pyro techniques display dubbed as “Luces in the Sky” is among the highlights of the Dinagyang. It takes place at the back of SM City Iloilo where it has the best view (and the maddening crowd). Plazuela de Iloilo offers a better alternative but also can be viewed from other areas in the city. For 2011, this takes place on Jan. 20 and 21 at 7pm.

Enjoy Dinagyang 2011 – Hala Bira! Viva Senor Sto. Nino

As this article promises "No lousy tribe in Dinagyang 2011", it surely will raise hopes and standards as well in the performances. So it will be a "15-way" fight among these tribes namely Tribus Aninipay, Angola, Atub-atub, Bantu, Bola-bola, Himal-us, Ilonganon, Manduryaw, Milagrosa, Molave, Pag-asa, Paghidaet, Pan-ay, Salognon, and Silak.