Pintados de Pasi Festival 2010
Posted by on March 22, 2010
Last Saturday, I traveled from Bacolod City to Iloilo to attend the Iloilo Bloggers Meeting/get together and cover the Pintados de Pasi Festival 2010 in Passi City Iloilo Philippines. I have always been wanting to witness Pintados de Passi festival. Especially after they wowed the Cebuano crowd during the Sinulog Festival in 2005 and in Aliwan Fiesta 2005.
I am not sure if it was the first time of Pintados de Pasi to join in Sinulog, but they did wowed the crowd with their very fast and precise choreography. Their well-applauded performance landed them as first runner up in the Free Interpretation Category of the Sinulog Festival in 2005.
On that same year, Pintados invaded Metro Manila and represented the City of Passi during the Aliwan Fiesta 2005. The group took home the top honors making them One Million Pesos richer.
The City of Passi is just one of the few cities in the Philippines that has a strong history of tattooed men or locally known as the Pintados. In most cases tattoo marks are signs of nobility or of great strength. The more tattoo a person has on its skin, the more he is revered and respected in the community.
The Pintados de Pasi Festival celebrates this unique cultural heritage through street dancing as it portrays how Pasinhons live their daily life.
We left early from Iloilo City. Travel time is around 1 hour. According to the schedule posted online, street dance would start at 8AM, so we planned to leave Iloilo to arrive in Passi at 730AM, only to find out that the street dance contest would commence at 9AM.
Had I known that this is going to happen I could have covered the Panaad sa Negros last Saturday night, and ask the Iloilo bloggers if we can set the meeting last night. 
And to make things even worse, the 9AM schedule started past 930AM. It was late already and the heat of the sun is just so unbearable.
Oh well, anyway, kahit papano, we all had fun taking photos. But in all honesty, I am a bit disappointed at the performances. The performances today is way, way different from the Pintadoes de pasi I saw in Sinulog 2005, and Aliwan 2006, where they also landed on the Top 10.
The choreography is also something not to rave about. almost everything’s not original. Most of the routines were copied from Dinagyang. So I never got to experience the “Wow Factor” yesterday. Execution-wise, the dancers are really good. the students are really talented.
The costumes are really fabulous! and the tattoo art on their body, bongga! I love their skin art. I know the Pasinhons must be really really proud of their heritage.
I just hope they they would try to infuse some new innovations, and new routines that we haven’t seen before. This is I guess the only for them to redeem the old glory they once had.
I agree with your sentiment. Looks like Dinagyang choreography needs some rehash too or else, everything would be imitated.
You’re right Ric, I didn’t experience the wow factor as well. Daw sa wala lang bala. Pero in fairness kanami sang mga estudyante dancers – they gave their best guid. A
I just hope that next year the Pasinhons will take their festival more “seriously”, no borrowed choreography, and hopefully makay-o na nila ang dalan.hehe
now i know… im not alone sa pag bi bitter bitteran kahapon.
masaya mag shoot ng photos, pero ang daming rehash na routines.
Yeah eric, I noticed that it’s too similar to Dinagyang. I’m so annoyed pa gid nga pabalik balik ang lawag sang ngalan sang mga politico. Pero na amazed ako sa *ahem* Ass-ets nila.
Yay, it seemed that I missed a lot with Pintados de Pasi..has, nevertheless enjoyed my Cebu Trip so much.(foodtrip hehe)
hahahaha..
Reding your comments, It maybe because they haven’t rehearsed well, hope next year would be better one, Nice photos
looking at your pics makes me think it’s still worth it to see this event