No stopping Tribu Panayanon Performs Dinagyang Opening Salvo 2019

Dinagyang Opening Salvo 2019 is not just a sneak peek of the performances of this year’s participating contingents in the ati-ati tribes competition.

TRIBU Panayanon of Iloilo City National High School stun viewers of their performance at the New Iloilo Freedom Grandstand yesterday, January 11, 2019.

Eight tribes are participating in the opening salvo in a carousel-type dance parade beginning at 3 p.m. “Downtown streets will be closed to traffic starting at 1 p.m.,” said Robert Alor, chairperson of the Dinagyang tribes committee. The parade begins at the new grandstand. The tribes will proceed to the newly revived Sun Burst Park (site of the demolished old Iloilo Freedom Grandstand) on JM Basa Street and towards stage/performance area No. 2 (Iloilo Provincial Capitol). From the capitol, the tribes will turn left to General Luna Street then turn left again to Quezon Street (for stage/performance area No. 3) towards Ledesma Street, and turn left to Iznart Street towards Ma. Clara Street (for stage/performance area No. 4) then to JM Basa to Plaza Libertad (for stage/performance area No. 5). “Para ma-feel sang mga tribu ang bag-o nga rota. Ginguba naton ang daan nga grandstand, so nag-rerouting kita kay may bag-o nga stages,” said Alor.

The new Iloilo Freedom Grandstand on Muelle Loney Street is the main performance area. Standing on a 2,600-square meter property acquired for P32 million by the city government from Panay Railways, Inc., it is bigger than the old one that used to stand in front of the Aduana (old Customs house) on JM Basa Street. The new grandstand has a seating capacity of 4,000 – twice the seating capacity of the old grandstand. Its construction had a budget of P50 million. Alor said the sequence performances during the opening salvo will also be the same during competition day on Jan. 27.