This year’s Dinagyang Festival is expected to spur various economic activities in the province and the city of Iloilo as performances and minor events have been restored after two years of pandemic restriction, the City Tourism and Development Office (CTDO) said Friday.

“The festival has a huge impact in terms of economic recovery because it helps not just one aspect, but a lot, including transportation. It will be favorable to small vendors, the pasalubong industry, and those into producing locally-made products,” said CTDO head Junel Ann Divinagracia in an interview.

With just over a week before the staging of the major events on Jan. 20 to 22, she noted that preparations are almost similar to the pre-pandemic period.

“With the way things are going, with the bookings, we can almost say that it is back to pre-pandemic,” she said.

Divinagracia said that hotels in the City Proper district — where most of the events will take place, are 99 percent booked, while two big hotels in Mandurriao district are already fully booked.

There are around 30 to 40 hotels in the City Proper area.

On Friday the sounds of drums reverberated all throughout the city with the holding of the opening salvo where tribes joining the Dagyang sa Barangay competition showed the public a glimpse of their performance for Jan. 22.

The Incident Management Team of the Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office estimated the crowd in various performance areas and parade route at over 30,000.

Religious events also kicked off with the walk with Señor Santo Niño de Cebu at 4 a.m. Friday, four novena masses and the installation of the Hermano and Hermana Mayor 2023.

Divinagracia urged the public to witness and support the festival to help in economic recovery, but however reminded that minimum health protocols should be observed at all times. (PNA)