ILOILO CITY -- After a two-year hiatus from joining the Aliwan Festival in Metro Manila, Iloilo City’s contingent Tribu Salognon, representing the Dinagyang Festival, won second place, bagging P500,000 cash prize, in the national festival competition.
Aliwan Festival held on April 15 to 16 was divided in three categories: Cultural Street Dance, Float Parade, and Beauty Pageant.
Tribu Katbalaugan representing the Manaragat Festival of Catbalogan, Samar got the first place, taking home the top prize of P1 million.
Tribu Salognon of the Jaro National High School performed the street dance from the Quirino Grandstand to the Cultural Center of the Philippines complex last Saturday, April 16.
rOther winners are Meguyaya Festival of Upi, Maguindanao, represented the Dr. Bernabe dela Fuente Sr National High School (third place), the Sagayan Festival of Datu Piang, Maguindanao represented by the Datu Piang Performing Arts Guild (fourth place), and the Niyogniyugan Festival of Quezon Province, represented by the Hambuyan Dancers of Dolores, Quezon (fifth place).
Tribu Katbalaugan won the Best Costume and Best Music awards, while Pinsao National High School representing Panagbenga Festival of Baguio City was adjudged as Best Folkloric Performance.
Float Parade champion was awarded to Sinulog of Cebu, followed by Damak Festival of Cotabato City, and Sagayan of Datu Piang, Maguindanao as second and third placers, respectively.
In the Beauty Pageant category, Cynthia Thomalla of Sinulog Festival of Cebu was adjudged as Reyna ng Aliwan 2016, while Andrea Fe Gomez of Baguio City got the first runner-up title.
Three second runner-ups were also chosen, namely: Airish Yamamoto of Anilag Festival of Laguna; Darlene Joy Tabuga of Pintados de Passi of Passi City, Iloilo; and Lou Piczon of Manaragat of Catbalogan, Samar.
Cebu’s Thomalla got the awards for Best in Festival Costume, Best in Evening Gown, Best in Swimsuit, and Most Photogenic; Baguio’s Gomez got Miss Unique Smile; and Iloilo’s Tabuga was awarded Miss Friendship.