ILOILO CITY – The 2025 Dinagyang Festival opened with separate salvos for its two major events, offering spectators a preview of the festivities ahead. 

On Thursday, the Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan showcased the top festivals from Iloilo’s local government units, while Friday featured an opening salvo for the highly anticipated Dinagyang Tribes competition.

“This is not a competition, but we can see how prepared our participants are. Early favorites have already emerged, and we are excited for their performances,” Iloilo Festivals Foundation Inc. (IFFI) Executive Director Joyce Clavecillas said in an interview.

Kasadyahan, managed by the Iloilo Provincial Government, highlighted nine festivals, including the Kaing Festival of Leon, Banaag Festival of Anilao, and Tultugan Festival of Maasin. Performances were staged at two judging areas.

On Friday, eight tribes, including Aliwan champions Parianon and Pan-ay, will compete in the tribes’ competition.

Meanwhile, Mayor Jerry Treñas, rejected the Iloilo City Police Office’s (ICPO) proposal for signal jamming as a security measure, citing its impact on communications.

He added that the need to maintain mobile communications far outweighs the benefits of signal jamming.

The mayor said he trusts that the police force is more than capable of maintaining the safety of people and the orderliness of the festival even without signal interruptions.

ICPO director Col. Kim Legada, in a separate interview, said they have already requested from the regional headquarters around 2,000 police officers to augment their strength at the ICPO.

The annual festival will have its highlights on Jan. 24-26. (PNA)