Ati warriors battle giant reptiles at Dinagyang

ATI TRIBE warriors battle a giant reptile in a performance during Iloilo’s Dinagyang Festival on Sunday NESTOR P. BURGOS JR./INQUIRER VISAYAS

ILOILO CITY—Ati warriors fought with giant reptiles and horned creatures and danced with monkeys and oversized vegetables in the culmination of Iloilo’s Dinagyang Festival on Sunday.

Cheers, claps and yells repeatedly erupted in five performance areas along the city’s main streets as nine competing tribes wowed the audience with striking costumes and brisk movements.

“We are overwhelmed. Dinagyang is really fantastic … world-class,” said Mayor LinaMontilla of Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat.

A contingent from Tacurong representing its Talakudong Festival and Koronadal City’s Hinugyaw Cultural Troupe joined the Dinagyang as guest performers.

The Ati tribe performers, dressed in mostly indigenous materials, danced to tribal drum-beats as they portrayed the pagan origins of natives until they were Christianized.

The performances mostly centered on caring for the

environment and traced the historical roots of Ilonggos and Panayanons.

The audience cheered as props of giant creatures and plants were unveiled. These include monkeys on trees, a giant ape, and a giant green-colored fish.

The contest started about 8:40 a.m. and ended about 1:15 p.m. But most of the spectators stayed until after the last tribe had performed.

Most of the audience also stayed despite the rain that fell near the end of the contest.

Despite fewer competing tribes, the performances were all of high quality, said Iloilo City Mayor Jed Mabilog.

The tribes, which have evolved through the years, were also encouraged to go back to the roots of the contest by using spears and shields used by Ati tribe warriors, he added.

Among the highlights was the 1st Philippine Festival Costumer Expo Parade where costumes representing 18 provincial, city and municipal festivals were worn by models and paraded along the contest route.

Mabilog said this is part of Dinagyang’s thrust to become a festival “not only about Iloilo but of the Philippines.”

He said the event provided opportunity for visitors to learn about other festivals in the country.

Mabilog conferred the “Dinagyang Pangulong Hangaway” title to Mayor Lina Montilla of Tacurong and Mayor Peter Miguel of Koronadal before the start of the competition.

“We are thankful for being given a chance to showcase our festivals in Mindanao,” Montilla told the Inquirer.

Mabilog said the partnership with the two Mindanao cities is part of the city’s “Balik Iloilo” (Back to Iloilo) campaign, which encourages residents of Mindanao with Ilonggo roots to visit Iloilo especially during the Dinagyang Festival.

Among the estimated one million guests were Filipino migrants or overseas-based Filipinos, and foreign and domestic tourists.

Ambassadors Philip Goldberg (United States), Ivo Sieber (Switzerland) and Esra Cankorur (Turkey) were among those at the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand, the main judging and performance area.

The winners of the Kasadyahan regional cultural competition held on Saturday and Ati tribe contests were expected to be announced on Sunday night.

Ten groups representing festivals in the region competed in the Kasadyahan contest.

Held every last weekend of January, the Dinagyang is among the festivals held in honor of the Child Jesus Senor Sto. Niño.

The first Ati-Atihan contest was held at the Freedom Grandstand. In 1977, festival organizers changed “Ati-Atihan” to Dinagyang from the Hiligaynon word “dagyang” or merrymaking.