ILOILO CITY – Tribu Pan-ay of the Fort San Pedro National High School emerged as the grand champion in the Dinagyang Tribes Competition at the 2024 Dinagyang Festival in this city on Sunday, January 28.
TRIBU Pan-ay of Fort San Pedro National High School topped the Dinagyang Tribes Competition of the 2024 Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo City on January 28. (Tara Yap)
Tribu Pan-ay received P25-million worth of school projects for Fort San Pedro National High School as well as a P1-million cash prize and a trophy designed by Ilonggo artist Gregorio “Boy” Masculino.
The main event of the festival that honors the Santo Niño (Child Jesus) is a competition among groups in depicting the story of the land pact with the indigenous Ati people by the migrant Bornean datus and the introduction of Christianity.
Tribu Pan-ay’s registered a suprise victory as Tribu Silak of Iloilo City National High School (ICNHS) was the crowd favorite and was thought to be the grand champion when it won three major awards.
Tribu Silak won Best Performance, Best in Choreography, and the People’s Choice Award.
Organizer Iloilo Festivals Foundation Inc. explained that Tribu Silak did not win and was not even in the Top 5 after points were deducted for violating the rules on usage of props.
In particular, Tribu Silak’s prop of the “uwak” or crow went beyond the allowed dimension of 10 feet.
“The rules are harsh, but those are the rules,” said Elvert Bañares, one of the two artistic directors for the Dinagyang Festival.
Bañares added that all choreographers agreed on the 10-point deduction system per judge for not following the rules.
The chief judge for the Dinagyang Tribes Competition is Nestor Jardin, a former president of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).
Prof. Eric Divinagracia, co-artistic director, said that Tribu Silak had been warned of the dimension size props during inspection.
First runner-up was Tribu Paghidaet of the La Paz National High School, Tribu Ilonganon of the Jalandoni National High School, second runner-up, Tribu Mandu-Riyaw of Mandurriao National High School, third runner-up, and Tribu Salognon of Jaro National High School, fourth runner-up.