Dinagyang Festival

Dinagyang Festival 2012 is on its way and this year, with the theme “Beyond Awards, A Culture of Excellence,” Major Jed Mabilog said that Dinagyang 2012 will be most significant since it will be celebrated with the City’s Diamond (75th) Jubilee Year.

This year, Dinagyang Festival have four major judging areas:

• Sports Complex
• Huervana- Luna (Andoks-Gaisano City-Injap Building Intersection)
• In Front of Old Provincial Capitol
• Freedom Grandstand

Dinagyang Festival 2012 Schedule of Activities

January 6-29, 2012, Friday

• 5:30 PM – Dinagyang Carnival rides, Back of SM City Iloilo Carpark
• 4:00 PM – Miss Dinagyang Talent Competition, SM City Iloilo Event Center

January 16, 2012, Monday

• 5:00 PM – Miss Teen Dinagyang Coronation, SM City Iloilo

January 17, 2012, Tuesday

• 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM – Dinagyang Food Aid Program for School Children I Arroyo Elementary School, Molo – I Arroyo Elementary School, Molo
• 10:00 AM – Healing Mass and Lunch Date for the Aged, Sick and Abandoned, San Jose Parish

January 18, 2012, Wednesday

• 4:30 PM – Coronation of Queen Juana 2012 and Niño Dinagyang 2012, San Jose Parish
• 7:00 PM – Miss Dinagyang Coronation Ceremony   Central Philippine University Gym

January 18-21, 2012

• 2nd Iloilo International Film Festival, SM City Iloilo Cinemas

January 19, 2012, Thursday

• 7:00 AM – Arrival of the Pilgrim Image of Señor Santo Nino from Cebu City, From Iloilo Port to San Jose Church
• 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM – Dinagyang Food Aid Program for School Children, Jalandoni Elementary School, Lapuz
• 5:00 PM – 5th Dinagyang Motor Show Competition, Robinsons Car Park
• 9:00 PM – SM Dinagyang Food Festival & Street Party with James Reid and Bret Jackson, SM City Parking Lot

January 19-20, 2012

• 7:00 PM – Dinagyang Pyrolympics: 2012 Luces in the Sky, SM City Parking Lot

January 19-22, 2012

• 5:00 PM – onward  - Dinagyang IHRRA Food Festival Delgado Street

January 20-21, 2012

• 8:00 AM-5:00 PM – 5th Iloilo Dinagyang National Age-Group Swimfest, Iloilo Sports Complex

January 20-21, 2012

• 8:00 AM-5:00 PM – 2nd Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog Badminton Cup Sportsville Sambag Jaro,  Sportsville Sambag Jaro

January 20-22, 2012

• 8:00 AM-5:00 PM – 2nd Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog Shooting Tournament,  CIPSA Firing Range, SUA Inland Resirt, Talanghuan, Sta. Barbara, Iloilo

January 20, 2012, Friday

• 8:00 AM – Tambor, Trompa, Martsa, Musika, Freedom Grandstand
• 3:00 PM – Fluvial Procession
  -Fort San Pedro
  -Iloilo River
  -Aduana
  -Muelle Loney
  -Montinola Street
  - Caram Avenue
  -JM Basa
  -San Jose Parish Church
• 4:00:00 PM  - Dinagyang Kapamilya Dance Showdown – Grand Finals, SM City car park
• 7:00:00 PM – Beauty and Fashion Extraordinaire – Dinner Show with variety shows featuring Manila talents, My City My Culinary, Kapamilya Caravan, and Kapamilya Dance Showdown, Sarabia Manor Hotel
• 8:00:00 PM – SM City Iloilo Food  Festival with variety shows featuring Manila talents, My City My Culinary, Kapamilya Caravan, and Kapamilya Dance Showdown, SM City car park

January 21-22, 2012

• 8:00 AM-5:00 PM – 3rd National Invitational Arnis Tournament – Dinagyang Bastonero 2012, St. Therese MTC College

January 21, 2012, Saturday

• 7:00:00 AM – Mass for Kasadyahan, San Jose Parish Church
• 7:00 A.M. – On-the-Spot Painting Contest, Museo Iloilo
• 7:30 AM -  3rd Iloilo Dinagyang Cheerleading Competition Iloilo Sports Complex
• ART EXIBIT Museo Iloilo
• 7:30 AM – Dinagyang National Taekwondo Tournament – Mayor Jed Mabilog Cup
• 8:00 A.M. – 2012 KASADYAHAN Competition
• 1) Freedom Grandstand
  2) Provincial Capitol
  3) Huervana-Luna St. LaPaz
  4) Iloilo Sports Complex
• 2:00 – PM SPONSORS MARDI GRAS -Freedom Grandstand.
  -J.M. Basa St.
  -Iznart St.
  -Gen Luna St.
  -Quezon St. up to Delgado St.
• 4:00 PM – Kapamilya Caravan, SM City Parking Lot
• 7:00 PM – Religious Sad-sad to Sr. Sto. Niño, San Jose Parish Church
• 8:00 PM – ECLIPSED by Republiq, Plazuela de Iloilo
• 12:00 MN – SM Dinagyang Food Festival & Street Party with General Luna , SM City Parking Lot

January 22, 2012, Sunday

• 6:30A.M. – Concelebrated high mass for devotees, Tribes, Gov’t. Officials.  Iloilo Sports Complex
• 8:00A.M.– 2012 Dinagyang Ati-ati Competition
  1) Freedom Grandstand;
  2) Provincial Capitol;
  3) Huervana-Luna  Street LaPaz;
  4) Iloilo Sports Complex
• ABS-CBN Mini Kapamilya Show, Iloilo Sports Complex
• 3:00 P.M-7:00 P.M. – GMA Kapuso Show, Iloilo Freedom Grandstand
• 7:00 P.M. – Awarding Ceremonies, Iloilo Freedom Grandstand
• 7:00 P.M. – KA TRIBU : Fashion Show of Indigenous Materials, Plazuela de Iloilo
• 8:00 P.M. – GMA Kapuso Fireworks Display, Iloilo Freedom Grandstand
• 7:00 P.M. – SM Dinagyang Food Festival & Street Party with 1:43 and Bamboo Manalac

January 23, 2012, Monday

• 5:00 PM -  Thanksgiving Mass, San Jose Parish Church

The Church of Our Lady of the Rule or Nuestra Señora de Regla in Lapu-Lapu City Cebu was built somewhere between 1735 and 1744. This is a Baroque-Style Church and was slightly damaged during the Second World War. Not only that, the church was unfortunately demolished by Dutch priests assigned to the parish later. The sacristy of the new concrete church houses the 2.5- foot high image of Nuestra Señora de Regla (Virgin of the Rule).

Nuestra Señora de Regla was the title given to the Blessed Virgin by the natives of Cebu who believe that the abundance and blessing that they enjoy is a gift given through the strength of her maternal intercession.

The old spacious and solid convent, built by Fr. Aguirre in 1855 is a perfect example of a Spanish Colonial mission.

Feast: November 20-21

Tel. No. (+6332) 340-8081

Christmas in the Philippines won’t be complete without the Simbang Gabi or Misa de Gallo that kicks off in the wee hours of the morning of December 16 yearly. This has been an annual tradition in the land which started since the Spanish colonization.

Simbang Gabi started in 1669 when the friars decided to have masses early in the morning for the farmers who wanted to hear mass but couldn’t leave their lands. Simbang Gabi is done during the advent season in preparation for Christmas. This is usually held during midnight, hence the name Simbang Gabi. Today, masses are held early in the morning for nine days starting the 16^th of December until the 24^th of December. This is a long-standing tradition for about 600 years already.

Simbang Gabi is also known as Misa de Gallo means “Rooster’s Mass” in English. It is a customary belief during those times that a rooster, noted for its early morning crow, would be the first to witness the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas day.

A lot of Filipinos anticipates the start of Simbang Gabi not only to fulfill their devotion to the Catholic Church, but also for the unique Filipino delicacies that awaits outside the gates of the church after the mass such as bibingka, puto bumbong, tsokolate, salabat and many more.

Through the years, the Catholic Community in the Philippines have made some changes in celebrating Simbang Gabi, some parishes in the city now celebrates Simbang Gabi at night, around 8 to 9 in the evening in order to accommodate the needs of the other members of the community who have different work schedules.

One popular belief during Simbang Gabi is that if the church-goer completes the nine consecutive masses of Simbang Gabi (that is from Decemer 16-December 24) without break, wishes will be granted.

Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception or the Basilica Minore dela Nuestra Señora de Immaculada Concepcion is the ecclesiastical seat of the Diocese of Malolos. The Neo-Classical church is located in front of the municipal hall. It is originally built using light materials in 1591. A century later in 1691, it was once again rebuilt and extended by Fr. Barrionuevo. Fr. Sanchez in 1740 rebuilt the church using strong materials. It was completed in 1740 under the supervision of Fr. De Meseguer. Minor restorations were done in 1753 by Fr. De Vivar and both were destroyed by flames in 1813.

The current church was started in 1819 by Fr. Melchor Fernandez and consecrated on October of 1826. An earthquake severely damaged the church in  June 1863 and it was restored from 1859-1872 by Fr. Moreno. Starting 1963, a lot of renovations and restorations were pursued by Engineer Alfredo Aldaba, affecting the dome, façade, transept and main altar. Both the church and the convent were blessed in 1976 by Rev. Bruno Torpigliani, Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines.

Style and Design

A semi circular arch in its lower part which served as the predominant feature of this Cathedral-Basilica. It possesses a moderately-decorated, symmetrical façade divided into three segments by superposition Doric columns and dominated by large, semicircular arched openings on the first level. The triangular pediment, decorated by an Augustinian Emblem at the center, is topped by acroteria and torch-like finials. The horizontal Doric frieze is decorated with triglyphs and the fluted pilaster-flanked, statued niche is topped  by a segmented canopy crowning the tilted frame of the center window. The cathedral-basilica has a slender, four-storey belfry on its right, topped by a Marian statue and the convent is located on the opposite end. 

Marian Statue at the belfry

The statue of the Immaculate Concepcion seated on the topmost portion of the belfry was made before the Second World War – this is according to a reliable information (source: Wikipedia). The piece was made by Donding Ople, a gifted artist who was orphaned at a very young age. The original work is kept private but the statue at the high enclosure behind the main altar is a perfect replication of the original. A lot of devotees come for the image of the Immaculate Concepcion.

Undas came from the Spanish word andas or honra, Todos Los Santos (All Saints Day), Araw ng mga Patay (Day of the dead) in the Philippines is one of the most celebrated holidays in the Philippines. It has more of a family reunion atmosphere, since family members are expected to gather in the cemeteries to visit their departed loved ones. This long-standing tradition is practiced since the Spanish era. Tombs are cleaned and repainted, days or weeks before the 1^st of November. Candles are lit, flowers and even foods are offered. The whole clan camp in cemeteries, spend a day or even a night or two on their relatives’ tombs. There are card games, eating, drinking, singing and dancing. However, the last three activities are being banned nowadays to avoid fights, crimes and promote the solemnity of the day.

Most of the time, on the last day of October, Filipinos are already busy preparing for the next day. Items such as candles, flowers, snacks are supposed to be back by this time. People who had offices the day before would rush into airports, bus terminals and ship ports to go home to their respective provinces. Authorities tighten securities with their annual All Souls/All Saints Day, “Operation Undas”.

November 1 is actually All Saints Day, supposedly it is the day where people would go to church and hear mass and November 2 is the day when people visit the grave of their relatives. However, through the years different customs has evolved: there was no longer All Saints day, instead people would descent to the tombs of their relatives on November 1 and for those people who didn’t want to join the exodus, they would visit the next day, November 2. But for most, this is the day where they would go back to their workplace or to the cities.

Barasoain Church, a place which also earned the title as the Cradle of Democracy in the East, was built in 1630 in Malolos City Bulacan. Considered to be one of the most important religious structures in the country because of its historical importance, this is the venue of the first Philippine Republic.

Barasoain Church is one of the many churches founded by the Augustinians in 1869, its original structure was burned during the Philippine Revolution, but was carefully restored to it former glory.

The church witnessed some of the most significant historical events that occurred in the Philippines while Former President General Emilio Aguinaldo was in residence:

• The convening of the First Philippine Congress 9-15-1898
• Drafting of the Malolos Consitution 9-29-1898 to 01-21-0899
• Inaguration of the First Philippine Republic 01-23-1899

Furthermore, Pres. Ferdinand Marcos proclaimed this church as a National Shrine (PD No. 260) on August 1, 1973. Lastly, this has been the venue of the inaugural affairs of two past presidents namely Aguinaldo and Estrada.

History

This stone structure was built when Barasoain was still independent from Malolos. This was built by Fr. Melchor Fernandez in 1816, rebuilt in stone from 1871 to 1878 by Fr. Francisco Royo but was destroyed during the July 1880 earthquake. The present structure was built in 1885 after a fire burned it down a year before by a builder named Magpayo contracted by Fr. Juan Giron.

The 4-storey belfry on the left was built in 1859 by Fr. M. Arconada and is crowned by a conical roof. It houses three bells installed in 1897 and has a alternating open and false windows rising in uneven modules that end up in the crenellated base of the pointed pinnacle.

Design

The façade shows a Neo-Classical touch with recessed main rhythmic layers. The main entrance has a Romanesque feature with its concentric arches flanked by two smaller doors, fluted flat pilasters which speak a Renaissance feature, and a Baroque segmental pediment and sharp line moldings at the cornice base and top of the piers. The two sides of the façade, wit its sweeping concave lines at the upper wall, curve inward to form an oval shape. Inside is an exceptional 18^th century altar frontal with beautiful stone columns and murals on the walls and ceilings done by Baliwag artists and the National Historical Institute. It is now air-conditioned during Sunday Masses. The church houses two museums: Church Ecclesiastical Museum and the Church’s Historical Landmarks History Museum. While the Barasoain Church Ecclesiastical Museum has been a repository of important artifacts found within the vicinity of the province, the Church’s Historical Landmarks History Museum concerns on preserving the fruits of the Philippine Revolution as well as freedom and the Filipinos’ heritage of democracy.

Where did Barasoain came from?

The tern Barasoain came from a place in Spain to which the missionaries found the place in Malolos somewhat similar. When the Spanish-Filipino war broke-out, revolutionaries coined the term, baras ng suwail which means dungeon of the defiant.

Recently, the church was depicted in the new generation series of the Philippine 200-peso bill. 

Easter Sunday starts with a mass attended by most Filipino families together to celebrate Christ’s resurrection. It is the well-attended Sunday mass for generally all Catholic churches.

According to the Bible, Jesus came back to like, or was raised from the dead, three days after his crucifixion. As part of the Easter Season, the death of Christ on the cross is remembered on Good Friday, always the Friday prior to Easter. Through his death, and resurrection, Jesus paid the sin of humankind and saved us all.

Interesting Trivia about Easter

• Since the ancient times, the egg has been considered as a symbol of rebirth in most cultures
• Easter has been derived after the word “Pesach”, Hebrew word for Passover Festival
• Similar to Passover which is dependent on the phases of the moon and has different dates each year, Easter is also a movable feast
• Easter always falls between March 22 and April 25
• Easter is the top-selling confectionary celebration in the west, second to Holloween
• The tradition of handing out eggs at Easter goes way back to the time of the Persians, Greeks, Romans and Egyptians
• The pope gives his Urbi et Orbi (Papal Address) during Easter annually
• Easter is known by different names across the world. Some of them are: English – Easter, French – Paques, Spanish – Pascua, Italian – Pasqua, Albanian – Pashke, German – Ostern, Greek – Pascha, Norway – Paaske, Holland – Pasen and Swedish – Pask.
• One of the earliest Easter treats are hot cross buns made by European monks. They were given to the poor during the season of Lent.

Easter Sunday is more than just easter eggs and bunny. It is a celebration of our faith.

The Siete Palabras or Seven Last Words are traditionally referred to Jesus’ words during his crucifixion collected from the four gospels of the bible. Three of His seven last words appear in the Gospel of Luke, another three from the Gospel of John and the rest appeared both in the Gospels of Mark and Matthew.

Since the 16^th Century, these words have been widely used during Good Friday. Traditionally in the Philippines, it starts at about 12 noon and precedes an annual procession.

The Seven Last Words of Christ are:

1. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34)

The word of forgiveness. It is taken as Jesus’ prayer for forgiveness for the people who were crucifying him.

2. Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43)

The word of salvation. According to the Gospel of Luke, Christ was crucified between two robbers, one of whom believes Jesus’ innocence and asked Him to remember him when he comes into his kingdom.

3. Jesus said to his mother: “Woman, this is your son”. Then he said to his disciple: “This is your mother” (John 19: 26-27)

The word of relationship. Jesus entrusts his mother Mary to one of his disciples.

4. My God, My God, why have you forsaken me. (Matthew 27: 46 & Mark 15:34)

The word of abandonment. It is the only expression that appeared in more than one Gospel. In the verses of the two Gospels immediately following the words, the spectators who hear Jesus’ plea understand him to be calling for help from Elijah.

5. I thirst (John 19:28)

The word of distress. These words are compared to and contrasted with the meeting of Jesus with the Samaritan Woman at the Well.

6. It is finished (John 19:30)

The word of triumph. It is theologically interpreted as the declaration of the end of Jesus’ life on earth and in anticipation for His Resurrection

7. Father, into your hands I commit my spirit (Luke 23:46)

The word of reunion. These words are interpreted as the announcement of Christ joining His Father in Heaven.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has launched a special website to allow Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to participate in the traditional Visita Iglesia or visiting and praying in seven churches during Holy Thursday of Lent.

Online users and those people who cannot possibly do the tradition can visit seven famous churches in the country such as Manila Cathedral, San Agustin Church, Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene (Quiapo Church), San Lorenzo Ruiz Church (Binondo Church), Santo Niño de Tondo Church, Nuestra Señora de Remedios in Malate, Manila and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Shrine in Parañaque City. In addition to this beautiful churches, the website also features the Seven Last Words (Siete Palabras) and the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) with the corresponding prayers.

The first seven churches are found basically in the coastline of Iloilo. If you are from the southern part of the province, or would love to smell the salty scent of the beach while doing your visitation, this is the route you would love to follow.

The Seven Churches are:

1. Parish of San Joaquim (San Joaquin, Iloilo)

2. Parish of St. Thomas de Villanova (Miag-ao, Iloilo)

3. Parish of St. John of Sahagun (Tigbuan, Iloilo)

4. Parish of St. Nicholas de Tolentino (Guimbal, Iloilo)

5. Parish of the Immaculate Concepcion (Oton, Iloilo)

6. Sto. Nino de Arevalo Parish (Villa, Iloilo)

7. Parish of St. Anne (Molo, Iloilo City)

Have a blessed Lenten Season!

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