Wednesday, April 18th, 2012

Dance theatre choreography, underscored by sets, props, and costumes in stunning visual magnitude, took front seat as festival representatives from Iloilo and Leyte emerged victorious at the recently-concluded Aliwan Fiesta celebrations.

A triumvirate of festivities anchored on Santo Nino worship copped top honours in the streetdance competition. Tribu Pan-ay, bannered by students from Fort San Pedro National High School, won the grand prize of one million pesos giving Iloilo Dinagyang its third straight championship in the annual festivities mounted by Manila Broadcasting Company and the Cultural Center of the Philippines, in cooperation with the cities of Manila and Pasay.

Abuyog, Leyte’s Buyogan Festival, the overwhelming crowd favorite, won second place, with Alang-Alang, Leyte’s Tribu Lingganay – double champions of the Sinulog and Pintados-Kasadyahan festivals – emerging third.

Students from Notre Dame de Sto Nino in South Cotabato took fourth place with a masterful showcase for the T’nalak Festival, with the kids from Purok Sison Elementary School in Surallah, South Cotabato copping fifth place for the Lembuhong Festival.

Declared runners-up were the contingents from the Mamang-os at Kambingan festival of Tuy, Batangas; the Kalivungan festival of Alamada, North Cotabato, Zambioanga Hermosa festival, Oriental Mindoro’s Pandang Gitab festival, and Miag-ao’s Salakayan festival.

Filipino craftsmanship was admirably showcased by the winners in the float design category. Running away with the P500,000 grand prize and its sixth Aliwan Fiesta win was Laoag City’s “Pamulinawen,” which featured indigenous materials such as tobacco, garlic, rice, corn, grains and beans that were transformed thru marvelous designs of beadwork mosaic, leaf lamination and papier mache techniques. The float depicted life in Ilocos, focusing on the production of the local wine basi.

Tribu Pan-Ay of Iloilo’s Dinagyang Festival in their winning performance in front of Aliw Theater, CCP Complex, Pasay City (photo by Eddie Boy Escudero).

Alang-Alang, Leyte’s An Lingganay float took second place, while Parang, Maguindanao’s Sagayan came in third. Named runners-up were the Singkaban-Halaman float of Guiguinto, Bulacan, the Pagana float of Cotabato City, Sipa sa Manggis of Datu Piang, Maguindanao, Panuruganen of Cotabato City, Guinakit of Sultan Kudarat, Paypay-Naaw of Catanauan, Quezon, and Laminan o Gakit also from Cotabato City.

The marvelous beadwork mosaic of “Pamulinawen” float of Laoag City. The float is made of indigenous materials such as tobacco, garlic, rice, corn, grains and beans (photo by Eddie Boy Escudero).

Toledo City in turn, fielded this year’s Aliwan Fiesta Festival Queen 2012 winner in the person of Angeli Dione Gomez, who bested 21 other hopefuls for the fourth consecutive win by a Cebuana, receiving P100,000 plus other prizes in kind.

Quennie Rose Bautista of Surallah, South Cotabato, Mira Mae Dimmerling of Cebu City, Vanessa Anna Scheuer of Bais City, Negros Oriental, and Joy Marie Gangan of Ilagan, Isabela rounded up the top five. Bauitista also won awards for Best in Festival Costume and Best in Evening Gown, while Gangan took home the award for Best in Swimsuit. Ala-eh Lambayok festival’s muse Decerie Robledo was named Best in Talent.

The stunning winners of Aliwan Fiesta Festival Queen 2012 strike a pose after the coronation night on April 14. From left to right: Joy Marie Gangan (2nd runner-up), Vanessa Anna Scheuer (2nd runner-up), Mira-Mae Dimmerling (2nd runner-up), Angeli Dione Gomez (Aliwan Fiesta Festival Queen 2012), and Quennie Rose Bautista (1st runner-up) | photo by Eddie Boy Escudero

Over 20,000 people braved a hot and humid afternoon, lining up along Roxas Boulevard from Quirino Grandstand and later remaining glued to their seats at the Aliw Theater complex to witness the colorful seven-hour spectacle that showcased 21 streetdance contingents from various parts of the country and 21 floats.

The festive afternoon presentations along Sotto Street at the CCP Complex also featured a carousel presentation of top marching bands gathered by the CCP’s Banda Rito, Banda Roon project, as well as as a dance production by Ballet Manila.

CCP also featured an exhibit of festival costumes, which opened with lively presentation at the Liwasang ASEAN just off the CCP front lawn.

Highlights of Aliwan Fiesta 2012 will be aired as special programs by RHTV, with the support of Smart Communications, Tanduay Rhum, Alaska Evaporada and Condensada, Coca Cola, Enervon Multi-Vitamins, Air Philippines Express, Hanabishi Appaliances, Cherry Mobile, My Juiz, Joy Liquid Detergent, Dunkin’ Donuts, M. Lhuillier, and the Atrium Hotel.
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Amateur and professional photographers who took pictures of the streetdance competition are invited to submit entries to the Aliwan Fiesta Photo Competition on or before April 27. The winner will receive P50,000. Full contest mechanics, registration forms, and other details are downloadable from the website aliwanfiesta.com.ph.