ILOILO CITY (PIA) — All teams joining this year’s Dinagyang Ati Tribes competition are set to receive a P1.8 million subsidy from the Iloilo Festivals Foundation Inc. (IFFI) in preparation for their vibrant performances during the highlight of the highly-anticipated Dinagyang Festival on January 26, 2025.
IFFI President Allan Ryan Tan, in a statement, said that they increased the subsidy of the eight participating teams to P1.8 million this year from P1.4 million in 2024, noting that the assistance will be given to the tribes in tranches.
The Iloilo City government and the IFFI are also ramping up the preparation for the festivities starting with the opening salvo of the Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan and the Dinagyang on Jan. 9 and 10, respectively, wherein participating tribes from both cultural events will give a sneak peak of their final performances slated on Jan. 25 and 26.
The eight teams participating for the Ati Tribes competition include the Tribu Pan-ay of Fort San Pedro National High School who will try to defend its title this year, Tribu Paghidaet (La Paz NHS), Tribu Salognon (Jaro NHS), Tribu Parianon (Iloilo City NHS), Tribu Ilonganon (Jalandoni Memorial NHS), Tribu Hangaway (Graciano Lopez Jaena ES), Tribu Pag-asa kang Manduryaw (Mandurriao NHA), and Tribu Molave (Barangay San Rafael, Mandurriao).
While the nine municipalities participating in this year’s Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan include Cabatuan (Tinuom Festival); Leon (Kaing Festival); Maasin (Tultugan Festival); Igbaras (Tangyan Festival); Anilao (Banaag Festival); New Lucena (Cry of Jelicuon Festival); and San Rafael (Tawili Festival). Each groups also received P2 million subsidy from the provincial government.
On the other hand, as part of the safety and security preparation during the festival, the Police Regional Office (PRO)-6 is set to deploy 2,000 security personnel for the duration of the festivities as the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) continues to discuss with the organizers for additional security measures to ensure the safe conduct of the events.
The ICPO also sent a formal request for signal jamming to the Iloilo City Government, specifically targeting high-density areas during peak festival times, but the plan is still under discussion. In 2024, the ICPO also requested for blocking of mobile signals, but it was denied by the city government.
Meanwhile, tickets for the 2025 Dinagyang Festival and Kasadyahan Festival competitions can now be purchased online as the IFFI introduced a new ticketing system that aims to make it easier for locals, balikbayans, and tourists to secure seats for the highly anticipated cultural events.
Tickets are available at dinagyangtickets.com for two judging areas: Quezon-Ledesma and Mabini-Delgado, wherein buyers can purchase up to 10 tickets per transaction by providing the names of attendees.
Tickets for the Dinagyang Festival are priced at P2,500 for gold tier and P2,000 for silver tier, while Kasadyahan Festival tickets can be bought at P1,200 for gold tier and P700 for silver tier. (AAL/JNH/PIA Iloilo)
