A montage of street theater

MANILA, Philippines - A fiesta defines the Pinoy’s complex psyche  at once religious and pagan, gustatory and olfactory, verbal and visual, theatrical and bacchanalian. 

Fiesta activities vary from place to place, but the staple components include a colorful parade, religious ceremonies, street games, beauty pageants, a flea market, concerts, dance contests, drinking sprees, videoke bouts, and an overflow of food and drinks that visitors can partake of from house to house.

When the annual Aliwan Fiesta takes to the streets of Manila and Pasay anew from April 11 to 13, a whole gamut of activities will be in store for both tourists and locals, audience and participants, all geared toward heightening that sense of kinship amid competitive regionalistic fervor enveloped in ebullient merry-making. Twenty contingents from various cities and municipalities all over the country will engage in a grand national showdown of festival champions in the streetdance competition.  Master craftsmen will also have a chance to display their design ingenuity as float-makers, while some of the country’s loveliest young ladies vie for the title of Festival Queen, or Reyna ng Aliwan.

The annual cultural extravaganza was conceptualized 11 years ago by Fred J. Elizalde, chairman of Manila Broadcasting Company, as a means of engaging radio audiences throughout the country in a grand festival heretofore unseen in the nation’s capital. In line with his tagline of creating “one vision, one nation,” Elizalde asked his teams at both MBC and Star City to work hand in hand with regional tourism offices and local government units in mounting the ultimate in grassroots entertainment. With all-out support from the neighboring Cultural Center of the Philippines, Aliwan Fiesta has, for the past decade or so, become a cultural showcase with an educational impetus, not to mention being a mecca for photographers.

This year, audiences will be treated to a colorfully diverse montage of street theatre from the array of participants sent by the different provinces.

With Lumad Basakanon of Cebu’s Sinulog returning following a four-year hiatus after being elevated to the Hall of Fame for three consecutive wins at Aliwan Fiesta in 2006-2008, the rivalry among the country’s top festivals will intensify.  Early bird entries include the Mango Festival of Zambales, the Padang-Padang festival of Parang, Maguindanao, Baguio’s Panagbenga, the Zamboanga Hermosa festival, the Mahaguyog festival of Sto. Tomas, Batangas, and the Pandang Gitab festival of Oriental Mindoro. Iloilo, Leyte, and Negros Occidental will be fielding their respective regional champions from the Dinagyang, Pasaka, and Kabankalan Sinulog festivals respectively. The Adivay festival of Benguet, Ang Tipulo of Rizal, the Dinagsa festival of Muntinlupa, and Dalaksagaw from Manila have also expressed their intent to join.  Other local feasts such as Boling-Boling of Catanauan, Quezon; the Iloilo Paraw Regatta, Kalivungan festival of North Cotabato, Kalilangan festival of General Santos City, the Sagayan festival of Buluan, Maguindanao, and the Meguyaya festival of Upi are likewise expected to compete again this year.

Aliwan Fiesta 2013 kicks off with the opening of the shoppers bazaar along Sotto Street featuring products from regional trade initiatives of the different participating towns. At 6 p.m., the Festival Costume Competition where candidates for Reyna ng Aliwan will be featured in a catwalk show will take place at the CCP front lawn.  This will be followed by a band concert in front of the Aliw Theater.

On April 12, the lovely ladies in the search for festival queen will have their pageant night at the Aliw Outdoor stage at 7 p.m. On Saturday, April 13, at 3:30 p.m., the grand parade and streetdance showdown will commence at Quirino Grandstand making its way to the Aliw Theater at the CCP Complex, where the awarding ceremonies immediately follow. Amateur and professional photographers are most welcome to take their best shots from the parade and join the Photo Competition; deadline for submission of entries is on April 26 at 5 p.m.

Aliwan Fiesta 2013 is supported by Smart Communications, Tanduay, Alaska, My Juiz, Cherry Mobile, Coca Cola, 7-11, Hanabishi, Republic Chemicals, Unique Toothpaste, Pride Detergent, M. Lhuillier, Dunkin’ Donuts, Sulit.Com, Solaire, Manila Ocean Park, and Islands Souvenirs. 

For details, call 832-6125/555-3477 or e-mail siarcega@mbcradio.net, visit Aliwan Fiesta 2013’s official Facebook page or visit www.aliwanfiesta.com.ph.