Last Sunday, January 27, Philippine media giant ABS CBN did a live webcast of the Iloilo Dinagyang Festival 2008. Dinagyang is an annual event held every 4th Sunday of January in honor of the Santo Niño. The fiesta is usually characterized by the frenetic stomping of the feet, and the hypnotic beating of the drums. See how the people of Iloilo throws a grand thanksgiving party!
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Source: ABS-CBN
The Iloilo Dinagyang Festival is actually composed of two parts. The Kasadyahan Festival which happens on Saturday of the festival season, and the Ati-ati contest which is the grand highlight of the Dnagyang festival.
Kasadyahan Festival is different from the ati-ati contest. For one, its dancers do not cover their body with black paint. They use taped music. And the Kasadyahan Festival has a more varied theme, as opposed the ati-ati contest. Many Kasadyahan tribes portray the unique and colorful rituals or an important slice of local history.
Here are some of the photos from the recently concluded Kasadyahan Festival in Iloilo City Philippines:
