Dinagyang’s lifeblood

“Generally, when I come to festivals, I just wander freely and see what happens.”

--St. Lucia

By Alex P. Vidal

NEWARK, New Jersey -- The just-concluded 50^th Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo City in the Philippines wouldn’t have reached the golden year if not for the strong and unwavering support of the advertising industry.

This is where we can best appreciate the role of capitalism.

This is where business, religion, and culture blend together and become vital cogs in progress and productivity.

In any gargantuan undertaking, money is the game changer and trailblazer.

Commercials easily strike a chord with consumers during gigantic events like the Dinagyang Festival held on January 27-28, 2018.

By shifting away from downbeat and snarky campaigns, companies with wise investment in Dinagyang and other prominent annual festivals in the country, can easily connect with consumers, thus their participation also contributes an uptick in local economy.

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Without money, the talents and sacrifices of ati-ati warriors, choreographers and other stakeholders will not be given justice.

Business has pumped millions of advertisement in promotions and sponsorship in the tribes participating in the Kasadyahan and Ati-ati dance competitions, side events like the Miss Dinagyang pageant, sports and other religious and cultural programs related to the week-long feast in honor of Senor Santo Nino, and media commercials and coverage.

Advertisement and sponsorship has become a necessary lifeblood for the promotion and sustenance of the annual festival, now known worldwide because of its sophistication, uniqueness, and grandeur.

The Iloilo Business Club (IBC), Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation, Inc. (IDFI), Filipino-Chinese business and community, Department of Tourism (DoT), Iloilo City and Provincial Governments, and participating schools are actually the primary heroes of the Ilonggo festival that has attracted thousands of visitors and millions of viewers in “live” television and social media coverage.

When chroniclers of this colorful religious and cultural festival produce a manuscript, they will not forget to emphasize that without its lifeblood, Dinagyang Festival, as an integral part of our culture and history, could never breach the golden age.