Aliwan Fiesta 2012 will be celebrating its 10th year The Festival of Festivals . and will take pride and honor on April 14 for its grand parade from Quirino grandstand to Aliw Theater.
Aliwan Fiesta 2012 promises to be a spectacular cultural extravaganza, with MBC, Star City, and CCP gathering the country’s most popular festivals, in cooperation with the cities of Manila and Pasay. TV5, which has come in as media partner and co-presentor this year, is pulling all stops to make the grand parade and awarding ceremonies truly star-studded. Aliwan Fiesta is generously supported by Smart Communications, Tanduay Mardi Gras, Alaska Condensada, Coca Cola, Unilab, Air Philippines, Hanabishi, Cherry Mobile, My Juiz, Joy Dishwashing Liquid, Dunkin’ Donuts, M. Lhuillier, Manila Ocean Park, and the Atrium Hotel.
KC Concepcion, Angeline Quinto, and Christian Bautista headline this year’s entertainment roster for Aliwan Fiesta when the annual cultural festival’s Pasakalye outdoor concert takes place on April 12 in a glittering programme on Sotto Street, fronting the Aliw Theatre at the CCP Complex on Roxas Boulevard.
Hosted by the jocks of 90.7 Love Radio, 101.1 Yes FM and 96.3 Easy Rock, the concert will follow immediately after the opening of the festival costume exhibit at the Little Theater Lobby of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, which will be capped by a fashion show by this year’s candidates for Festival Queen at the CCP’s Liwasang ASEAN. Also performing in the Pasakalye concert are Faith Cuneta, Anja Aguilar, and Blakdjak.
On April 13, Pinoy Pop Superstar runner-up Bryan Termulo and former South Border vocalists Luke Mejares and Duncan Ramos will be the featured performers during the pageant night in the search for Festival Queen, to be hosted by Love Radio’s top-rating triumvirate – Nicole Hyala, Chris Tsuper, and Papa Jack.
And when the festival dance showdown on April 14 kicks off at the Quirino Grandstand at 2:00 p.m. in tandem with the grand float parade.
Some major stars of TV5 will be on hand to make the Aliwan Fiesta’s 10th year truly special. Ding Bolanos will helm the coverage to be aired on AKTV Channel 13, with Al Quinn taking on directorial chores for the awarding ceremonies to be telecast live on Channel 5 at 9 p.m. TV5’s sports team led by Jason Webb, Manu Sandejas, Cheryl Cosim and Chiqui Roa-Puno will co-anchor the parade with the FM deejays of Manila Broadcasting Company, while Paolo Bediones serves as main host for the awards night. A grand production number fusing neo-ethnic touches with nuances of pinoy rock opens the programme, as performed by Bamboo and the Talentadong Pinoy hall of famers. Other artists from the TV5 stable led by Aga Muhlach, Ryan Agoncillo, Derek Ramsay, Lorna Tolentino, and Sharon Cuneta have been invited to grace the occasion.
SHOWDOWN OF CHAMPIONS IN 2012 ALIWAN FIESTA STREETDANCE COMPETITION
Just as easily as they party, Filipinos find an excuse to dance – for leisure or entertainment. . .as a manifestation of worship. . .or as a social valve for relationships. For this year’s Aliwan Fiesta – the 10TH annual cultural extravaganza organized by Manila Broadcasting Company and the Cultural Center of the Philippines in cooperation with the cities of Manila and Pasay – dance in its myriad forms once more takes centerstage, as interpreted in the festival context by contingents from various regions all over the country. As early as January, the roster of entries had reached the maximum number set by the organizers – solid proof of how keenly anticipated the festival is.
Metro Manila will be represented by the Taga-Giik festival of Taguig , anchored on the area’s being a farmers’ bailiwick in olden times, and Pasay City’sDayang-Dayang festival which celebrates how the city got its name from a princess in the old kingdom of Namayan.
From the Cordillera Administrative Region, Baguio City showcases its myriad blooms for which Panagbenga has become immensely popular. Santiago City, Isabela in turn, will present the Pattaraday festival, which emphasizes unity invoked by the people on its foundation day.
Bulacan will once more showcase the art of landscaping for which the town of Guiguinto is famous for in its Halamanan festival, while Batangas is pitching two entries via San Juan’s Ala-eh Lambayok festival (anchored on the making of lambanog), and Tuy’s Mamang-os at Kambingan festival Residents of Catanauan, Quezon present the wild revelry of the pre-Lenten Mardi Gras-inspired Boling-Boling Festival, while Oriental Mindoro will again present the luminous Pandang Gitab festival of Calapan.
Iloilo also fields two entries – the Salakayan festival of Miag-ao, champions in the Kasadyahan, and the highly acclaimed Dinagyang Festival, which features the aboriginal tribes’ offering to the Infant Jesus.
This worship of the Santo Nino, which prevails in many parts of the country, likewise finds fruition in the breathtaking showcases of Leyte. From the town of Alang-alang comes the Lingganay festival, which emerged grand champion in both the Sinulog of Cebu as well as the province’s own Pintados Kasadyaan. Not to be outdone, the town of Abuyog, Leyte also brings forward the Buyogan festival, which copped the 2009 Aliwan championship.
Zamboanga City will field dancers to interpret the Zamboanga Hermosa festival, while South Cotabato highlights its weaving traditions in the T’nalakfestival, as well as the Lembuhong festival of Surallah. The town of Alamada in North Cotabato, ,in turn, will showcase the Manuvu’s Kalivungan festival.
General Santos City will be represented by the Kalilangan festival, while Maguindanao will field the Padang-Padang from the town of Parang, Meguyayafrom Upi, and the Sagayan festivals.
Aliwan Fiesta is now on its 10th year, and will be held on April 12-14 with the grand culminating parade traversing Roxas Boulevard from Quirino Grandstand to the Aliw Theater at the CCP Complex on the last day. For enquiries, call 832-6125 or email siouxstar@gmail.com
