Diyandi Festival theme underscores ‘Like Iligan’ thumbs-up sign

ILIGAN CITY -- Thumbs-up sign “Like Iligan” is this year’s theme of the city’s fiesta celebration and Tourism Month dubbed “Diyandi Festival.”

Emily Pascua, chairperson of Promotions Committee-City Fiesta Executive Committee, said they aimed to take advantage of the present technological phenomenon through Facebook.

She said they are taking advantage of the “thumbs-up” symbol’s popularity and recall in online social media so they are campaigning through the use of the internet, particularly Facebook, to “Like Iligan.”

Pascua said the campaign address is for the people in the world to visit, discover and experience what the beloved city of Iligan can offer.

She said they want everyone to discover the splendor of their majestic waterfalls, the cold waters of Timoga Springs, the hidden caves of Hindang, Rogongon and other unexplored spelunkers’ dreams, and the gastronomic taste that is distinctly Iligan.

According to Pascua, “Discover & Experience Iligan” is a campaign for all the people in the world to discover the splendors that are found in Iligan and when they do.

“Like Iligan” is a follow through of the first line to encourage others to follow and is a call for all Iliganons to share their thumbs-up sign.

Diyandi is a ritual performed by an all-female group outside the Cathedral during the Pagpakanaug of the city’s patron saint from his pedestal, before every novena and before the start of the Komedya, or Comedia de San Miguel, a folk stage play depicting the celestial battle.

The ritual depicts the courtship between a Maranao male and a Higaonon female, and culminating into an offering symbolic of their union and bountiful harvest to St. Michael, the Archangel, Iligan’s patron saint. The ritual aptly describes the peaceful co-existence of Iligan’s tri-people – Maranaos, Higaonons and Christians.

Everyone is invited to visit LikeIligan@Facebook for them to see what the province could offer or may also visit the city’s official website iligan.gov.ph and the Iligan City Tourism website at iligancitytourism.com.

Pascua said it is also an invitation addressed to all Iliganons all over the world to use ‘Like Iligan’ as a campaign for everyone to visit, discover and experience the city. (PIA)