DINAGYANG FESTIVAL 2023: Salamat Guid Sang Kasadyahan, Iloilo City!

When we decided to go to Iloilo City (from Negros Occidental) to enjoy the 2023 Dinagyang Festival, what we worried about was the hotel. 

So I called up the business inn that is located downtown where we always stayed because it was a walking distance from the San Jose de Placer Church and from the restaurant that makes everyone's favorite siopao, Roberto's, and other fastfood restaurants. The location is also very accessible and is just a few minutes from the ferry terminal.

The business inn still had rooms available, but unfortunately, we learned that the roads to the hotel would be closed during the festival. So we opted for another hotel elsewhere.

We ended up at a hotel along Ledesma Street that has a mall next to it. The location was very convenient for us as our mom, who has trouble walking, came with us, although we had some difficulty getting a cab a few times.

As always, even on the days leading to the festival, the streets of Iloilo City were full of revelers, tattoo artists, and vendors of snacks, bottled water, balloons, and colorful Dinagyang masks and necklaces. It also made us feel safe that there were a lot of policemen and women posted on every corner. There was even a police assistance desk just outside our hotel.

The competing tribes participating at the Dinagyang Festival were to be judged at the Freedom Grandstand and three other stages around the city, following a route that would meander through the main streets downtown.  

On our trips to the Dinagyang Festival before the pandemic, we were able to watch the performances at the Freedom Grandstand as well as experienced having photos with the costumed performers on the streets as they moved to the next performance area.

Although it was an amazing experience watching the whole performance of the tribes from our comfortable seats at the Freedom Grandstand, it was more fun seeing their creative and artsy costumes up close and chatting with them as they passed us on Rizal Street where we picked our spot.  

Feasting on the colors of their ensemble was a delight to the eyes and to my camera, although I realized their costumes must have been very heavy and their make-up that colored their faces and limbs made it even uncomfortable as they walked the streets under the sun.

But seeing the smiles of the performers without the masks on brought even more fun to us, revelers and tourists, as we enjoy once more the fun, excitement, and merrymaking of the Dinagyang Festival this year.

So, thank you to Mayor Treñas, the festival organizers, and to the men and women in uniform for keeping us safe during the 2023 Dinagyang Festival.😎😎😎

Salamat guid sang kasadyahan, Iloilo! Until next year!😍😍😍

#Iloilo #IloiloCity #Dinagyang #Dinagyangfestival #Philippines #ItsmorefuninthePhilippines #travel #travelblog