Aliwan Fiesta, the country’s largest gathering of Philippine cultural festivals, kicked off yesterday with the Shoppers Bazaar opening and star-studded Pasakalye concert and variety show.
Lovely ladies from different regions will compete at the Reyna ng Aliwan pageant happening today, 7:00 p.m. at the Aliw Outdoor Stage. The event will be hosted by 101.1 Yes The Best’s Raki Terra and DJ Nick of 96.3 Easy Rock, with special guests TJ Monterde and Ronnie Alonte.
The culminating event on Saturday, April 28, will feature the grand parade and street dance performances of the 17 contingents that participated in this year’s event.
The Cordillera Administrative Region will field the Panagbenga festival of Baguio City, Benguet as well as the Abrenian Kawayan festival of Bangued, Abra. Region 1 will be represented by the Pandan festival of Mapandan, Pangasinan, while Region 2 will showcase the Bato Art festival of Luna, Isabela.
Region 3 also has two entries—both from Bulacan—the Fiesta Republica of Malolos and the Halamanan festival of Guiguinto. Not to be outdone, Region 4 will showcase the Bakood festival of Bacoor, Cavite, the Tagultol festival of Atimonan, the Dumagat festival of Rodriguez, Rizal, and the Niyogyugan festival of Quezon Province. From Region 5, the town of Balud, Masbate will present the Pangumagat festival.
Region 6 will carry Ilonggo pride with the Manggahan festival of Guimaras, the Binirayan festival of Antique, and the Iloilo Dinagyang festival. Region 8, through a contingent from Burauen, Leyte, will showcase the Kasadyaan festival.
Finally, from Maguindanao, we will see representatives of the Meguyaya festival of Upi and the Inaul festival of Datu Piang.
Aside from the grand parade and street dance showdown, other festivals will be represented in the float design competition as well as in the search for Reyna ng Aliwan.
Audience will be dazzled by craftsmen of Hagonoy’s Singkaban festival, Catanauan’s Boling-Boling, Tacloban’s Sangyaw and Fiesta Tarakloban, Cotabato’s Sinilatan, Mother Kabuntalan’s Bangsa Maguiranun, and the Kapasiti of Shariff Aguak. Additional festival queen entries will come from Antipolo’s Maytime festival, the Iloilo Paraw Regatta festival, the Sinulog festival of Cebu, Zamboanga Hermosa, the Salug festival of Zamboanga del Norte, the Kalimudan festival of Sultan Kudarat, the Munato festival of Sarangani, the Tuna and Kalilangan festivals of General Santos City, and the Kalivungan festival of North Cotabato.
Amateur and professional photographers are welcome to take their best shots from the parade and join the Photo Competition. Deadline for submission of entries is on May 4, at 5:00 p.m.
For details about this year’s participants and lineup of activities, email [email protected] or call (02) 832-6125 or 555-3477.