Manila: Aliwan Festival 2009
Aliwan 2009 Festival in Manila
The Aliwan Festival is an annual event held in Manila, Philippines. It’s where the best of the best festival winners from around the Philippines gather together to showcase what the Philippine Festival is known for – cheerful revelers wearing vibrant costumes with awesome performances. This year, I wanted to see this event since for the past years since it started, I’m away from Manila.
Aliwan Festival 2009 Night Parade
We were arrived late at Roxas Boulevard where the participats would be parading from Aliw Theater to performance grounds at Quirino Grandstand. I was already expecting the parade to have already started when we got there to my surprise it hasn’t. It was already late in the afternoon and is getting dark. Honestly this could be really tricky for those who like to take photos of the parade. They should have started a lot early.
Laoag Float – Aliwan Festival 2009 Winner
While I heard that participants started their parade around 4:30pm they still should have started early since the parade reached the US Embassy Area around 6:30pm. We were able to catch some of the participants before they moved on to the performance grounds. Their costumes were really amusing and the props they have were really detailed.
Maguindanao Participants
By 7pm it started to rain, by that time we just decided to leave the venue and didn’t finish the parade nor watch the whole performances. I can just imagine the hardship those participants went through just to deliver a great performance raining or not and parading the stretch of Roxas while dancing. Not an easy tasks I may say.
Aliwan 2009 Festival Props
Today I learned that the following winners for the street dance was the Buyogan Festival from Abuyog Leyte followed by runners-up Kasag Festival from Banate, Iloilo and the infamous and crowd favorite Dinagyang Festival, Iloilo. I was able to watch performances from the net (which I know pales in comparison from being there) and can say that the Buyogan with their jollibee inspired bee costumes rolled out a terrific and captivating performance deserving the win.
Aliwan 2009 Festival Baka Festival Batangas
On other categories, the organic float from Laoag City got the main prize while the Aliwan Festival Queen crown went to Alcoy Siloy Festival, Alcoy Cebu.
Tags: Aliwan, Festivals, Manila
Posted on
Monday, April 27th, 2009 at 12:02 am 
Subscribe through 
April 27th, 2009 at 1:21 am
hirap at pagod talaga ang binuhos ng mga participants para sa activity na iyan. i was watching sa star city. sana nga nag start yung parade earlier para hindi naman masyadong late natatapos. di ko din napanood yung performance kasi crowded na sa viewing area sa starcity.
April 27th, 2009 at 9:18 am
it’s really surprising why every year, the proceedings go from late to even more late. by the time the parade to the quirino grandstand commences, the light is fading fast. the organizers do not seem to mind this. like last year, inulan na naman yung parada so maulan na, madilim pa. talking to some of the performers, nakakaawa naman kasi they were tired from almost a whole day of preparations tapos uulanin pa. anyway, it’s good you were still able to take these dynamic shots. i can imagine the shots had there been more ambient light.
April 27th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
How creative! talaga pinagbuhusan ng panahon ito… sayang di ko napanood. Di ko kasi alam when heheeh. huli na ako sa balita. Thanks for sharing this.
April 27th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
So this is what happens here. Interesting. =)
April 27th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
the parade started on time at 4PM. but the participants were already dressed up by 1PM at the aliw theater so we got more time to shoot.
besides, starting the parade at an earlier time is a bit tricky too as it could lead to fatigue dehydration or worse sunstroke to these kids. i can still remember last year, it rained so hard, but despite the cool breeze brought by the rain, 5 dancers from dinagyang still collapsed after the performance
April 27th, 2009 at 11:55 pm
I could just imagine the trainings and rehearsals na ginagawa nila iRonnie.
Just took what I can at that time Og. Kahit low light na.
There’s always a next year Millie
Yup Pao.
You have a good point Eric! I guess we really have to be early at the venue next time
April 28th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Ang sarap maging PILIPINO…Salamat kasamang Ferdz sa patuloy na pagpapakita ng angking ganda ng PILIPINAS….nating MAHAL.
April 28th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
walang kahirap hirap sayo ang mga nightshots mo ferdz. galing talaga! sayang lang at may meeting ako. hindi ko kasi to na anticipate. next year ulit.
April 28th, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Salamat din sa pagdalaw Juan! Tunay naman maganda ang Pilipinas at di ako magsasawa ipamahagi sya
Meron namang next year Dom. Naku hirap mag shoot ng ganyang condition. Mas madami pa kong miss kesa hits
April 28th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
I agree with dong Ho. Bilib talaga ako s’yo, Ferdz. Galing ng mga kuha. Actually, I also went there on Saturday but was trapped in vehicular traffic kaya I parked na lang in Harrison Plaza. It took me more than an hour just to look for parking space. The original plan is just to walk towards the event and it started to drizzle. That Saturday was my only chance to get there, sayang talaga…
Anyways, enjoy naman ako to see those photos you had taken. Thanx for sharing, Ferdz!
April 30th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
buti ngayon sa gabi na umulan, last year naman naunang umulan bago ang parada…
sayang di ako nakanood ngayong aliwan, nasa byahe ako pauwing probinsya nong araw na yon..next year ulit
May 18th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
nice experience talaga ang aliwan
mrming new friends.. galing-galing lahat ng contingents..
galing GENSAN
galing sa gensan!
November 12th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
i would say that all contestant was so good. very traditious style..