SM City Iloilo celebrates Dinagyang Festival

This month, SM City Iloilo celebrates the Dinagyang Festival 2009 on higher grounds with a touch of history, loads of fun, celebrity performances and non stop revelry.

The Dinagyang is a religious and cultural festival in Iloilo City held on the fourth Sunday of January in honor of the Sto. Niño and to celebrate the arrival of Malay settlers in Panay, who eventually bought the island by the Atis.

The festival began after Rev. Fr. Ambrosio Galindez introduced the devotion to the Sto. Niño in his local parish in 1967. In 1968, Fr. Sulpicio Enderez brought a replica of the original image of the Sto. Niño de Cebu to Iloilo as a gift to the Parish of San Jose. The faithful, led by the members of the Sto. Niño de Cebu, Iloilo chapter, worked to give the image a fitting reception starting at the airport to the streets of Iloilo.

Today, the Dinagyang is an iconic festival, and has been judged the Best Tourism Event of the Philippines by the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP).

At SM City Iloilo, exhibits like the Ms. Iloilo Dinagyang Photo Exhibit on the lower ground floor and Dinagyang Through the Years, as well as Photo Op booths will get shoppers in a festival mood until Jan. 25. Warriors in costume parading around the mall tomorrow, Jan. 17 and on Jan. 18, as well as a mall-wide festival sale will give shoppers many reasons to celebrate.

Also not to be missed is the first Dinagyang Autocross featuring exhibits, obstacle courses and demonstrations of cars, motorcycles, remote control cars and planes ongoing until Jan. 18 at the SM Carpark. Kids can also get into the festival spirit with SM Storyland’s Little Dinagyang Warriors, a costume contest for kids aged four to 12 on Jan. 18 at the Events Center.

It will be great music and great food at the Dinagyang Food Festival and Street Party from Jan. 23 to 25. Kicking off the festivities on Jan. 23 will be Handog ng Bombo Radyo at Star FM featuring Callalily and Jennifer Lee. Big prizes and fun giveaways await foodfest goers in this annual event of Bombo Radyo.

Iloilo skies will light up in the second Dinagyang Pyrolimpics on Jan. 23 and 24. Sixteen competing teams from the Western Visayas as well as Cebu and Manila will vie for the Best Luces in the Sky award as the Bloomfields performs at the SM Carpark on Jan. 24 at 11 p.m.

Capping the festivities is Globe’s TM Power Piso Dinagyang Party featuring its endorser Parokya ni Edgar on Jan. 25 at the SM Carpark.

While enjoying Dinagyang fun at the mall, visiting tourists and balikbayan can relax at the Tourism Lounge at the lower ground floor until Jan. 25. This is a special project of SM City Iloilo with the Department of Tourism, the Association of Iloilo Tour and Travel Operators (AITTO), and the Iloilo Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Association (IRRHA).

Tourists who present their passport and airline ticket can avail of special perks like free coffee, tea or juice; a foot and back massage; free calls and Internet; cellphone charging and reloading services. While relaxing, they can view a film showing of the 2008 Dinagyang Festival, and also have a chance to catch up on events through the national and local newspapers and magazines in the area.

Services such as local tours, airline bookings, assistance on places to stay and dine, van rentals and boat or roro bookings will be available in the area. A Pasalubong Center will make shopping for local souvenirs and delicacies easier for them.

The Dinagyang 2009 activities at SM City Iloilo are in partnership with the Iloilo City Tourism Office, the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation, the SM Department Store, Philippine Airlines, Bennch Transport, Globelines, The News Today, The Daily Guardian, Iloilo Premiere, EddieMar News and Magazine Center, Spa Riviera and Merriam Transport.