ILOILO CITY – The Dinagyang Festival of Iloilo remains a top tourist attraction even with just P9-million budget this year, P3 million less than last year’s P12-million fund, proving once more why it was voted by the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP) as the Best Tourism Event for three consecutive years and placed in ATOP’s Hall of Fame for Best Event.

In this year’s festival, thousands of tourists still flocked to the streets of Iloilo to witness the religious and cultural festival that greatly encompasses the staunch devotion and steadfast faith of the Ilonggos to the Sto. Niño.

Although there has been a controversy about too much commercialism, religiosity is still the main focus of the festival as shown in the various activities such as the nine days novena that was held last January 13 to 21, at the San Jose Parish Church as well as the fluvial procession where hundreds of devotees carried various images of the Child Jesus and paraded in motorized bancas from Fort San Pedro Drive Inn to Customs House.

Aside from being a religious event, Dinagyang also showcased a cultural menagerie, highlighted by the Kasadyahan and the Ati-ati tribes contest.

The Kasadyahan featured nine various tribes of the province such as Tribo Tambobo of Ajuy, Tribu Kasag of Banate, Tribu Patubas of Barotac Viaje, Tribu Tinu-om of Cabatuan, Tribu Tangyan of Igbaras, Tribu Mandurriaonon represented by Mandurriao National High School, Tribu Jimanban of New Lucena, Tribu Tubong-Tubong of Tubungan, and Tribu Pantat of Zarraga, with two guest performing tribes Tribu Binanog and Tribu Buenavista Palayag.

Close to 4,000 police and civic volunteers were deployed around the city to ensure the safety and security of the revelers and spectators.

Considered as the biggest festival in Western Visayas, Dinagyang is usually held on the fourth Sunday of January. The festival began after parish priest Fr. Ambrosio Galindez introduced the devotion to Sto. Niño in 1967. A replica of the original image of the Child Jesus was brought to Iloilo by Fr. Sulpicio Enderez as a gift to the Parish of San Jose. To give a fitting reception to the image, the faithful paraded down the streets of Iloilo.

As this developed, the city’s high spirits due to the festive celebration of the 2010 Dinagyang Festival turned gloomy when a raging fire burned 120 homes, left one person dead and 18 others injured early Saturday morning.

Fire Officer 3 Joseph Gatilago of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said the incident started past Friday midnight at a squatters’ area in Barangay Nabitasan, La Paz district.

Trinidad Formacion, 48, burned dead when she was trapped inside their house. One of those injured was Senior Fire Officer 1 Hilario Silao of the La Paz Fire Brigade.

Authorities said over 1,000 displaced residents are temporarily hounsed at a nearby elementary school and gymnasium.

Gatilago said the cause of the fire is still under investigation but there were initial reports that a lit candle inside the home of Aurora Legazpi may have ignited the fire.

Residents complained of the slow response from the authorities, which caused the fire to spread rapidly to other homes.

Gatilago said seven fire trucks from the city and other fire engines from private fire volunteers responded.

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas said the city government will provide aid to all the victims. (With reports from Tara Yap and Aaron Recuenco)