THE root word is dagyang. In Ilonggo, it means to make merry. Dinagyang is the present progressive word of the Ilonggo word, meaning making merry or merry-making.
Attributed now to the annual, socio-cultural-religious festival of Iloilo City, the word Dinagyang was coined by an old-timer, Ilonggo writer and radio broadcaster, the late Pacifico Sumagpao Sudario, and first used to name the festival when it was launched in 1977.
Iloilo City’s Dinagyang has its early beginnings in 1968, when a replica of the image of Sr. Santo Ni¤o was brought from Cebu City to the San Jose Parish Church by Fr. Suplicio Ebderes, OSA with a delegation of Cofradia del Sto. Niño,Cebu members.
The image and party were enthusiastically welcomed at Iloilo City by then parish priest of San Jose Church, Fr. Ambrosio Galindez, OSA, then Mayor Renerio Ticao, and the devotees of the Sto. Ni¤o in Iloilo City.
The image was brought to San Jose Parish Church and enshrined there up to this time, where a novena in His honor is held every Friday.
Meanwhile, the Confradia del Santo Niño, Iloilo Chapter, was organized and the first set of officers were elected. To name a few: Fr. Ambrosio Galindez; Fiscal Vicente Gengos, first president of the Confradia; Felisimo Almalvez; Aurelio Deriada; the late Tommy Panaguiton; Doroteo Fuentes; Mr. and Mrs. Esperidion Alculbilla and Dominador Rivera, Jr. The first parish feast of Se¤or Santo Niño was celebrated in 1969, a year after his arrival in Iloilo City. The culmination of the nine-day novena was the Fluvial Procession.
In the early morning light of dawn, the revered Santo Ni¤o image is borne on a decorative banca in a fluvial procession, starting from the mouth of the Iloilo River at Fort San Pedro, winding all the way to the Iloilo Provincial Capitol which stands on the bank of the Iloilo River.
If the festival had to be developed into a major tourist attraction, it would be so big in magnitude and the Confradia thought that it could no longer cope with the demands of a tourist come-on.
The year 1976 also brought another feature of the festival. Street revelry and audience participation were introduced an encouraged.
At that point, the Santo Ni¤o is met by the Hermano-Hermana Mayor devptees, and Ati-atihan tribes. With the Santo Ni¤o leading, the foot procession starts, passing through the main streets of the city and ending up at San Jose Church, where a high mass is then celebrated.
Every year since then, the image is venerated through religious celebration, with the Ati-atihan tracing its roots to the barter or purchase of Panay Island by the 10 Bornean datus from the Ati King, Marikudo, in the 13th century.
From 1969, the celebration was casually called Ati-atihan and to differentiate it from that of Kalibo, Aklan was specified as Iloilo Ati-atihan
The fluvial procession of the Santo Ni¤o image on the Iloilo River was made a prerequisite to the Ati-atihan foot procession which has now evolved into a parade and competition, thus answering the cultural aspect of the celebration.
The early years of the Ati-atihan parade and competition saw only a few tribes participating. Held in the afternoon of Sunday, the assembly point was the Provincial Capitol, the parade passing Iznart and J.M. Basa Street, and straight to San Jose Church with the Freedom Grandstand as the sole judging area. The champion was the Majapahit Tribe of Compania Maritima.
At first, the steps or movements of the Ati-atihan participants were improvised , their formations unstructured.
Their costumes were made of indigenous materials like leaves and barks of trees, woven anahaw, bun or coconut palm fronds and husks.
From 1971 to 1973, more “Ati-Ati” tribes joined the celebration that now has become more colorful and pompous, to eventually include the Mardi Gras (now Kasadyahan) an off-shoot of the Ati-atihan, and becoming a full-bloom festival. It was during these years that the Ma-Mau Tribe of Nenaco copped the first place consecutively.
In 1974, the Iloilo Ati-atihan played a vital role in the “Operation Balikbayan” program of the Department of Tourism (then Ministry of Tourism) by providing visitors with a unique form of cultural entertainment.
Panaderia de Molo’s “The Last Warrior” Tribe was the champion during this year and was invited by former First Lady Imelda R. Marcos to grace the Kasaysayan ng Lahi pageant presented to foreign diplomats in Manila.
Whereas before the public was just a spectator during the merrymaking of the various competing “Ati-Ati” and Mardi Gras tribes and groups, this time the people were given the chance to gyrate wildly in the streets, sans inhibitions.
With soot painted all over the face and body, one could just fantasize on anything that hits his face and in wild abandon, dance to the cacophonous beat of drums in the streets mingled with raucous laughter of merrymakers.
From 1969 to 1977, the Hermana Mayor was once Mayor of Iloilo City, Rosa O. Caram.
In 1977 (10th year from inception), the Iloilo City Government which now heads the yearly celebration in coordination with the DOT, for want of a name, brainstormed for a distinctive, typical Ilonggo word to identify the festival.
Ilonggo words like Kalipayaan, Hinugyaw, Kalingawan and Kasadyahan, which all synonymously mean making happy, cropped up.
Source – Sun Star Iloilo
