Photographing the Dinagyang Festival

The Dinagyang is a religious and cultural festival in Iloilo City, Philippines. It has gained international renown for its merry and colorful parades and street-dancing competitions.

Held on the fourth Sunday of January, the Dinagyang is celebrated right after the Sinulog in Cebu and the Ati-Atihan in Aklan. It is held both to honor the Santo Niño and to celebrate the arrival of Malay settlers in the island of Panay.

Origins:

The Dinagyang celebrations began in 1967 when Rev. Fr. Ambrosio Galindez, a local Roman Catholic parish priest, introduced the devotion to Santo Niño to the people of Iloilo City

In 1968 a replica of the original image of the Santo Niño de Cebu was brought to Iloilo by Fr. Sulpicio Enderez as a gift to the Parish of San Jose. A fitting reception was given to the revered image starting from the Iloilo Airport and parading down the streets of the city.

Photographing Dinagyang:

In 2009, professional digital photographer Mitz Picardal visited Iloilo City in time for the Dinagyang Celebrations. He wasted no opportunity to capture the spirit of the celebrations through the lenses of his digital cameras.