Jaro National High School’s Tribu Salognon delivered a masterful performance to capture the Dinagyang Tribes Competition 2026 championship on Sunday, January 25, dethroning defending champion Tribu Paghidaet in a stunning upset that brought the Jaro district its latest festival glory.

The victory marks a triumphant moment for Tribu Salognon, which dominated the competition with a performance that showcased exceptional choreography and musical excellence. The tribe swept several major special awards, earning recognition for Best in Choreography, Best in Production Design, Best Choreographer, and Best in Musical Direction.

“This championship belongs to Jaro and to all Ilonggos who believe in the power of our culture and faith,” said representatives from Jaro National High School following the announcement at the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand.

Dinagyang Tribes Competition 2026 Results

Champion: Tribu Salognon (Jaro National High School) – ₱1.5 million + ₱10 million in school infrastructure projects

First Runner Up: Tribu Paghidaet (La Paz National High School)

Second Runner Up: Tribu Pan-ay (Fort San Pedro National High School)

Third Runner Up: Tribu Taga-Baryo (Barangay Bo. Obrero, Lapuz)

Special Awards

• Best in Performance – Tribu Paghidaet
• Best in Choreography – Tribu Salognon
• Best in Costume – Tribu Paghidaet
• Best in Production Design – Tribu Salognon
• Best Choreographer – Tribu Salognon
• Best in Musical Direction – Tribu Salognon
• Best in Discipline – Tribu Paghidaet
• Best in Street Dancing – Tribu Paghidaet

Tribu Paghidaet’s Graceful Second Place

Despite falling short of a back-to-back championship, defending champion Tribu Paghidaet of La Paz National High School demonstrated why they remain one of Dinagyang’s most formidable competitors. The 2025 champions captured key performance-based honors, including Best in Performance, Best in Costume, Best in Discipline, and Best in Street Dancing.

Their strong showing in the street dancing category particularly resonated with festival-goers, who witnessed the tribe’s signature energy and technical precision that has defined their legacy since 1999.

New Prize Structure Rewards Excellence

This year’s Dinagyang featured an enhanced prize structure announced by Mayor Raisa Treñas, with the champion tribe receiving not only ₱1.5 million in cash but an additional ₱10 million in school infrastructure projects. This initiative reflects the city government’s commitment to channeling festival success into lasting educational improvements.

“The initiative ensures that the spirit of Dinagyang leaves a lasting impact beyond the festivities,” said the Iloilo City Public Information Office.

Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan 2026: Tultugan Festival Makes History

In an equally impressive achievement, the Tultugan Festival of Maasin, Iloilo captured its third consecutive championship at the Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan competition on Friday, January 24, cementing its status as the dominant force in Iloilo’s festival of festivals.

The bamboo percussion-based festival not only defended its crown but swept the technical categories, earning six special awards including Best in Music, Best in Costume, Best in Production Design, Best in Musical Director, Best in Circular Creativity Award, and Best in Street Dancing.

With this historic three-peat victory, Tultugan Festival has now earned a place in the Hall of Fame and brought home a total of ₱1.2 million in prize money.

Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan 2026 Results

Champion: Tultugan Festival (Maasin) – ₱1.2 million

First Runner Up: Kahilwayan Festival (Sta. Barbara) – ₱700,000

Second Runner Up: Kasag Festival (Banate) – ₱500,000

Non-winning tribes: ₱200,000 each (consolation prize)

Special Awards

• People’s Choice Award – Kahilwayan Festival, Sta. Barbara
• Best in Performance – Kahilwayan Festival, Sta. Barbara
• Best in Choreography – Kahilwayan Festival, Sta. Barbara
• Best in Music – Tultugan Festival, Maasin
• Best in Costume – Tultugan Festival, Maasin
• Best in Production Design – Tultugan Festival, Maasin
• Best Choreographer – Kahilwayan Festival, Sta. Barbara
• Best in Musical Director – Tultugan Festival, Maasin
• Best in Ingenuity – Kahilwayan Festival, Sta. Barbara
• Best in Circular Creativity Award – Tultugan Festival, Maasin
• Best in Street Dancing – Tultugan Festival, Maasin

Sta. Barbara’s Kahilwayan Festival Wins Hearts

While Maasin’s Tultugan Festival dominated the technical awards, the Kahilwayan Festival of Sta. Barbara emerged as the crowd favorite, capturing the prestigious People’s Choice Award along with first runner-up honors.

The liberation-themed festival from Sta. Barbara impressed both judges and spectators with its creative choreography and performance quality, earning five special awards including Best in Performance, Best in Choreography, Best Choreographer, and Best in Ingenuity.

Their strong showing suggests that Sta. Barbara is positioning itself as a serious contender to challenge Maasin’s dominance in future editions.

Kasag Festival Rounds Out Podium

The Kasag Festival of Banate secured the second runner-up position, bringing home ₱500,000 and representing the coastal municipality’s crab-fishing heritage with pride on the Dinagyang stage.

Other Competing Festivals

The Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan 2026 featured eight municipal festivals, each receiving ₱200,000 in consolation prizes:

• Jimanban Festival (New Lucena)
• Tawili Festival (San Rafael)
• Salakayan Festival (Miag-ao)
• Pagnahi-an Festival (Bingawan)
• Banaag Festival (Anilao)

Festival Context and Significance

The 2026 Dinagyang Festival, held under the theme “Bugay sang Ginoo, Bugal sang mga Ilonggo” (Blessings of the Lord, Pride of the Ilonggos), showcased Iloilo’s rich cultural heritage across two main venues for the first time since 2012.

Both the Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan and Dinagyang Tribes competitions were held at the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand and the newly-added Iloilo Sports Complex, providing larger spaces for creative choreography and accommodating more spectators than previous years.

The festival attracted ambassadors, high-ranking government officials, and an estimated crowd of over 120,000 spectators across the weekend’s major events, reaffirming Dinagyang’s status as one of the Philippines’ premier cultural celebrations.

Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. emphasized that Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan serves as more than just a competition. “Our tourism program follows a barangay- and development-oriented approach, and Kasadyahan is a good platform to implement this,” he said, noting that the provincial government allocated ₱2 million to each participating municipality to support their preparations.

Looking Ahead

With Tribu Salognon’s championship victory, Jaro National High School will represent the Philippines at the year’s Philippine Independence Day rites in New York City and compete in the Aliwan Fiesta 2026 in Manila, where they will face off against winning groups from festivals across the country.

Meanwhile, Maasin’s Tultugan Festival, having achieved Hall of Fame status with its third consecutive Kasadyahan championship, continues to set the standard for municipal festivals throughout Iloilo province. The bamboo percussion festival previously earned national recognition by placing second in the Aliwan Fiesta’s Street Dancing Competition in 2025.

As the 2026 Dinagyang Festival concludes, both competitions have demonstrated the depth of artistic talent and cultural pride that defines Iloilo’s festival tradition. The performances showcased not just competitive excellence but the enduring faith and creativity of the Ilonggo people.

Hala Bira, Iloilo!