The street dancing and float design contenders for this year’s Aliwan Festival were in high spirits despite of the heavy rains that poured a few minutes before the scheduled start of the program.
Billed as the “biggest and grandest Philippine festival ever,” the Aliwan Festival is a showcase of the Best Filipino Fiestas gathered in one event. The street dancing and float design competition started at the Quirino Grandstand and took a four kilometer parade along Roxas Boulevard to end at Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex.
This year’s contenders were: Pasig’s Pakalog Festival, Pangisdaan Festival of Navotas, Panagbenga Festival of Baguio, Lang-ay Festival from Bontoc Mountain Province, Pamulinawen Festival of Laoag City, Gakit Festival of Angadanan, Isabela, Desposorio Festival from Hagonoy Bulacan,
Boling-Boling of Catanauan, Quezon, Penafrancia Voyadores and Pilgrims Festival of Naga, Pintaflores of San Carlos City Negros Occindetal, Saad Festival Leganes, Iloilo, Dinagyan Festival from Ilo-ilo, Halad Festival of Midsayap North Cotabato, Sinulog Festival of Cebu City, Sinulog sa Carmen of Cebu,
Alikaraw Festival of Hilongos Leyte, Buyogan Festival from Abuyog, Leyte,Bakhawan of Zamboanga Sibugay, Cotabato City’s Shariff Kabunsuan Festival, Meguyaya Festival from Upi, Shariff Kabunsuan, Kang’ Gelal of Sultan Kudarat, Buklod Festival of Parang Maguindanao, Kalilintad Festival Mamasapano, Maguindanao, Lamitan Basilan’s Lami-Lamihan Festival, and Kadayawan Festival of Davao City,
According to the organizers, there were more than 3,000 performers who joined the competition for street dancing, float design and the search of Reyna ng Aliwan. All vied for the prestige and pride of being the best fiesta in the Philippines and the 3 million pesos worth of prizes.
The Grand prize for the street dancing competition was brought home by Cebu City’s Lumad Basakanon. 2nd and 3rd place were awarded to Tribu Iloganon Dinagyan Festival of Iloilo and Sinulog sa Carmen of Carmen Cebu respectively.
To the Aliwan Festival 2008 contenders, Bravo!
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