Beauty queens of the previous Dinagsa Festival led the “lamhitanay” at the weekend opening of Cadiz City’s Golden Dinagsa Festival booth at SM City Bacolod.
The city’s beauty titlists – Dinagsa Festival Queen 2023 Steppi Vanessa Felice Bacolado, first runner-up Kristel Mae Nacionales, and second runner-up Rochelle Ramos – smudged colorful paint on those willing to engage in the fun and interactive activity of the Cadiz City Tourism Office.
Located at the mall’s south-west bridgeway lobby, mallgoers can have their photos taken at the unique Dinagsa Festival booth and get to know the different “tribes” of Cadiz through the costumes on display.
The exhibit will run until the end of this month, and is part of Cadiz’s celebration of the Dinagsa Festival’s 50th edition.
Mallgoers were able to experience a bit of the Dinagsa Festival highlights in advance through the “lamhitanay”, a press release from the mall said Jan. 23, adding this act of smudging paint on faces is one of the unique and popular features of the Festival.
As with major Philippine festivals every January, the Dinagsa celebrates the Child Jesus or the Señor Sto. Niño de Cadiz. At the same time, the festival is a nod to a rare event where some whales were sighted as they drifted along the shores of the city. Thus, ‘dagsa’ or driftage, and why Cadiz is dubbed as the City of Whales.
For the full “lamhitanay” experience, the public is invited to be part of the Dinagsa Festival of Cadiz City, with highlights this weekend, Jan. 26 to 28, including the famed street dance competition. ||
