Dinagyang 2011 Quick Guide - Winners, schedules, hotels, activities and more!

Congratulations to the Dinagyang 2011 Festival winners. The crowd favorite Tribu Pan-ay of Fort San Pedro National HIgh School really deserved to win for giving a superb performance garnered a standing ovation in almost every judging area especially the main performance area - Freedom Grandstand. From the start of the festival - I was fortunate enough to watch it live and on television simultaneously. What made Tribu Pan-ay wrestle the crown away from the defending Dinagyang (and Aliwan Festival) champion, Tribu Paghidaet, is the flawless, energetic, different concept, excellent choreography among the tribes. In short, it was a very superb over all performance. So aside from representing Iloilo City in the upcoming Aliwan Festival (I'm sure it'll land in the Top 3, as usual, for ever since the start of the Aliwan Dinagyag had always been in those spots.), Tribu Pan-ay will be performing in New York City, USA in the Philippine 113th Independence Day Festivities in June 2011.

Meanhwile another upset was staged in the Kasadyahan competition when the 2010 champion (and Aliwan 2010 2nd runner up), Tribu Kasag of Banate, Iloilo failed to defend it's crown and succumb to another tribe of gastronomic proportion - Tribu Pantat of Zarraga, Iloilo. Pantat is the Ilonggo term for hito or catfish and being part of the main produce of the town, it was highlighted to the (gastronomic) delight of the crowd.

Here is the list of winners in major and minor awards for Dinagyang Festival 2011

Ati-ati Competition

CHAMPION: Tribu Pan-ay (Fort San Pedro National High School)
1st runner up: Tribu Paghidaet (Lapaz National High School)
2nd runner up:Tribu Bola Bola (Iloilo National High School)
3rd runner up: Tribu Salognon (Jaro National High School)
4th runner up: Tribu Manduryaw (Mandurriao National High School)

Best in Costume: Tribu Paghidaet
Best in Music: Tribu Salognon
Best in Headress: Tribu Paghidaet
Best in Discipline: Tribu Bola Bola
Best in Choreography: Tribu Pan-ay
Best in Performance: Tribu Pan-ay
Best in Streetdance: Tribu Paghidaet

Tribu Pan-ay's superb performance was adjudged as Dinagyang 2011's best!
Courtesy of Youtube/impresario

Kasadyahan Fesitval

CHAMPION: Pantat Festival of Zarraga Ilolo
1st runner up: Kasag Festival of Banate Iloilo
2nd runner up: Binanog Festival of Lambunao
3rd runner up: Pagdihon Festival of Dingle
4th runner up: Tinuom Festival of Cabatuan iloilo

Best in Performance: Tribu Kasag (Banate, Iloilo)
Best in Costume: Tribu Binanog (Lambunao, Iloilo)
Best in Choreography: Tribu Pantat (Zarraga, Iloilo)
Best in Music: Tribu Tultugan (Maasin, Iloilo)

Iloilo City celebrates Dinagyang Festival 2011 and it's already a sure winner. From the festive sights and sounds to numerous activities that includes those of gastronomic proportions, shopping here and there and all day and night parties - Iloilo City is the place to be this January 21-23. But to make you visit a lot more hassle free so that you won't spend your time asking for directions, getting lost in a small city or just wandering around thinking of what to do, here's a quick guide of where to go, what to do, what's in, what's hot and almost everything about Dinagyang 2011. Check the schedule here.

Check out the bigger picture here.

As this article promises "No lousy tribe in Dinagyang 2011", it surely will raise hopes and standards as well in the performances. So it will be a "15-way" fight among these tribes namely Tribus Aninipay, Angola, Atub-atub, Bantu, Bola-bola, Himal-us, Ilonganon, Manduryaw, Milagrosa, Molave, Pag-asa, Paghidaet, Pan-ay, Salognon, and Silak.

Ultimate Ilonggo Favorite: KBL Kadyos, Baboy, Langka

K.B.L. or Kadyos, Baboy, Langka is the ultimate favorite dish of most Ilonggos. It is also one of the most missed native dishes as kadyos and the souring ingredient, batwan , are hard to find when outside of the Ilonggo region. Basically, it is boiled/stewed pork dish owing its "deliciousness" to the combination of the soft and tender pork, the tamed sourness of batwan and the malinamnam na sabaw . One of the "secrets" of the malinamnamn na sabaw , is the fact that the pork, whether just the plain meat or pata (hocks) are first grilled or broiled. This gives the broth a rather smoky taste that makes it more appetizing.. Learn how to make the Ilonggo dish KBL (Kadyos, Baboy, at Langka) with the recipe below. Ingredients 1 kilo Pata (pork hocks) or pork cubes, GRILLED and sliced into bite size pieces 1 unripe Jack fruit, cubed 2 cups pigeon pea (kadyos) 6-8 pieces batwan fruit (or tamarind powder) 1 piece pork broth cube (

An Ilonggo favorite - Valenciana

Found in almost all occasions like fiesta, birthdays, reunions and others, Ilonggos really love valenciana because most if not all have grown accustomed of having it in special gatherings at home. A complete " go, grow and glow " dish because it has the carbohydrates, protein and vitamins and minerals in just one spoonful, Valenciana is really an " occasional dish ". Here's the recipe for Valenciana

Takway

The gabi (taro) is just one of those plants which is edible from "roots to tops". The most popular of which is the tuber part which is used in a variety of dishes and mostly in combination with coconut milk. Its leaves, of course, is the main ingredient of a Bicol specialty, laing . It is dried then chopped and sauteed with other ingredients including, again, coconut milk. Then there is takway . The local term for its tendrils/runner, that part which is torn between being a stem or a root for it neither grows upwards nor downwards - it grows sideways . Scraped off of its outer skin, takway is often a key ingredient in vegetable dishes like laswa and the gabi tuber with coconut milk and local snails know as bago-ngon . It is also popular when cooked adobo style with guinamos , the local bago-ong . It is very popular in the region that even big supermarkets sell takway in style - cleaned and plastic wrapped in styro with some additions to make it easier to prepare.

Batwan

Ilonggos know batwan or batuan by heart as the fruit is almost endemic to the Western Visayas. Its scientific name is Garcinia binucao, derived from the Tagalog name for the fruit, binukaw. It is a large green fruit with large seeds and its a favorite souring ingredient in most Ilonggo dishes especially KBL or kadyos, baboy, langka and the Ilonggo-style paksiw known as "pinamalhan". It is characterized by a tamed sourness compared to tamarind and kamias . The fruit is sold by pieces or kilo in wet markets and even big grocery stores. Batwan is the preferred souring ingredients for the Ilonggo favorite- KBL. The photo shows boiled batwan with skin and without skin (right) A favorite riddle when we were young - "Among the many fruits in the forest, but one (batuan) is the best. What is it?"

A native (foods) welcome in Guimaras

Even after having breakfast less than an hour that time, we couldn't say no to this lot of native delciacies that welcomed us in Guimaras. First and foremost, Guimaras best known produce is their sweet mango famous almost worldwide. And it comes with it's best partner, ibos. This brown baye-baye variety is made from toasted rice thus giving it a more disctinct flavour compared to it's more "caucasian" cousin. I like the one wrapped in banana leaves compared with the one in plastic for it gives it a more native feel. So when you're in Guimaras, be sure to check out the markets for these native delicacies that can make your trip more gastronomically satisfying.

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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