Tribu Paghidaet of the Lapaz National High School bested nineteen other competing tribes including last year’s champion Tribu Ilonganon of Jaro Memorial National High School.

Aside from winning the P100,000 grand prize, Tribu Paghidaet was also declared best in costume, choreography and performance, winning another P10,000 each in the said minor awards. The tribe’s choreographer, Ramil Huyatid, was also named Best Choreographer winning P5,000.

Tribu Ilonganon declared 1st runner-up took home P50,000 and another P20,000 for minor awards such as best in music and street dancing.

Adjudged 2nd runner-up was Tribu Taga Jaro winning P40,000, 3rd runner-up Tribu Silak winning P30,000 and 4th runner-up was Tribu Atub-Atub winning P20,000.

This year’s Best in Discipline was Tribu ni San Pedro winning P5,000.

Though it did not win any award, Tribu Ivatan, the contingent from the province of Batanes also awed spectators with their colorful costume and performance.

On the other hand, Tribu Saad of the Leganes National High School won the top prize in the Kasadyahan Festival. It also won the best in production design, theme, and street dancing.

Other winners of the Kasadyahan Fesrtival are: Tribu Kasag of the municipality of Banate, 1st runner-up; Tribu Tinuom of Tiring National High School in Cabatuan, 2nd runner-up, Tribu Bayluhay of San Joaquin, 3rd runner-up; Tribu Mandurriaonon of Mandurriao National High School, 4th runner-up.

Tribu Kasag was also declared as best in choreography and performance.

The awarding of winners was held at the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand.

Both local and foreign tourists had a glimpse of the participating tribes for the 2008 Dinagyang Festival Ati-Competition when the opening salvo blasted off along selected streets of this city yesterday (January 18).

Dinagyang is observed every fourth week-end of January in honor of Senor Sto. Nino. This year, the festivity revolves on the theme “One heart, one mind for Senor Sto. Nino.”

Ben Jimena, City Tourism Officer and Festival’s Executive Director said the participation of the tribes in the opening salvo as well as in other 2008 Dinagyang activities determined by the Dinagyang Foundation is one of the requirements of the competition.

The Dinagyang Ati-Competition is one of the highlights of the festivities where tribes composed of dark-brown colored warriors perform in music dominantly using drums in identified judging areas.

Unlike in the previous years, the 20 competing tribes on Sunday, January 27, will perform in four judging areas instead of five. These judging areas are the Freedom Grandstand, Provincial Capitol, Quezon-Ledesma and Ma. Clara Rotunda.

The 20 competing tribes are Tribu Ivatan, Baryohan, San Pedro, Binhi, Hamili, Paghidaet, Angola, Kalubihan, Molave, Ilonganon, Pag-asa, Silak, Pana-ad, Atub-Atub, Himala, Familia Sagrada, Aninipay, Pari-anon, Ang Taga Jaro and Bantu.

For two years in a row, the Dinagyang Festival had been cited by the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP) as Best Tourism Event in the country. It has also received international recognitions such as given by the United Nations Development Programme in a CityNet conference in Katmandu, Nepal as Best Practice in the Promotion of the Localization of the Millennium Development Goals and by the Asian Development Bank as Best Practice in Public and Private Cooperation.

Last year, Dinagyang also emerged first runner-up in the Aliwan Fiesta 2007 held in Manila and awarded Best in Music in the Western Visayas Tourism Assembly held in Bacolod City.

The yearly event is in compliance with Provincial Ordinance no. 2000-040 which declares the holding of the activity in the month of September each year.

This year’s “Piyesta” will be held at the mangrove area of Brgy. Pedada, Ajuy, Iloilo, on September 29, 2007, with the theme: Katunggan Amligan para sa Kinabukasan.”

Iloilo Governor Niel Tupas, Sr. said the annual “Piyesta sa Kakahuyan serves as a reminder for the people that the province is blessed with diverse species of flora and fauna and a rich natural resources, hence its environment should be managed under a framework that economically viable and socially acceptable to prevent further degradation.

The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office(PENRO) said the main activity will be the tree planting in an open portion of the mangrove area, which was declared for rehabilitation.

It will be followed by a talk on Mangrove Protection by Dr. Jurgene Primavera of SEAFDEC, and messages from Ajuy Mayor Juan Alvarez and DENR Regional Director Lormelyn Claudio.

The event will start with a caravan from Iloilo City, which is expected to be participated in by about 600 to 800 participants representing government agencies, private sectors, the academe and the media. (PIA 6)

Iloilo City — The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is set to position the Philippines as an alternative educational destination for neighboring countries which have overflow of students.

CHED Chair Lito Puno said this positioning is in the commission’s blueprint on “educational tourism” where the country can be an alternative educational destination to China and Russia where Korean students normally go.

He also said that this strategy also complements the government’s tourism program.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said President Arroyo had expressed support for this initiative. He added that Manila is an “attractive alternative” destination for Korean students because of the short distance between Seoul and manila, the affordability of Philippine education and the Filipino’s fluency in English.

Bunye said there is an estimated 100,000 South Korean students enrolled in various private and state-run colleges and universities in the country.

He also expects Chinese and Indian students to arrive soon, as the Philippine Government and the China’s Ministry of Education have signed recently a Memorandum of Agreement, allowing Chinese students who could not be accommodated in China’s universities to study in the country.

Meanwhile, CHED 6 Education program specialist Dr. Rex Casiple said about 24 percent of the 134 higher education institutions in Western Visayas have been accredited to accept and enroll foreign students. (PIA 6)

The 8.758 Billion peso complex became operational last June 14 and is considered to be the most modern airport in the country today.

Transportation modes available at the airport include metered taxi (approximately P165-180 one way), coupon taxi at P400. Point to point express vans and jeepneys are also available.