Iloilo City Safely Concludes Dinagyang Festival 2026 with Zero Major Incidents

Iloilo City once again proved that a grand celebration can go hand in hand with safety and order as the Dinagyang Festival 2026 concluded peacefully, recording zero major incidents despite an estimated 350,000-strong crowd.

The successful security operations were reported by Police Colonel Wilbert Parilla, Officer-in-Charge of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO), during the closing ceremony of the Security Task Group (STG) Dinagyang 2026 held at the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand on January 26.

Parilla, together with Police Brigadier General Josefino Ligan, Regional Director of Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) and Task Group Commander, delivered their parting message to the security forces—marking the end of the festival not with fatigue, but with a shared sense of accomplishment and strong inter-agency partnership.

A total of 7,579 security personnel were deployed across Iloilo City ahead of the festival’s major activities following the ceremonial send-off on January 21. To further ensure public safety, the Iloilo City Emergency Operations Center was placed under Blue Alert status throughout the celebration.

Capping the festivities, nearly 73,000 attendees gathered at the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand and nearby areas during the awarding ceremonies, based on STG monitoring as of 12:00 a.m. on January 26.

Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas extended her gratitude to the men and women in uniform, commending their unwavering commitment to public safety.

“Ginapasalamatan ko man ang Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO), sa ila bug-os nga suporta in keeping every key area in the city safe and secure throughout the festivity,” the mayor said, also acknowledging the leadership of PRO-6 and the Security Task Group for implementing a comprehensive security plan that ensured a smooth and incident-free Dinagyang.

She further thanked volunteers, participating tribes, sponsors, production teams, media partners, and the thousands of visitors who came to Iloilo City to celebrate, noting that the collective effort made Dinagyang 2026 truly “Bugay sang Gino-o, Bugal sang mga Ilonggo.”

This year’s Iloilo Dinagyang Festival highlights were held from January 23 to 25, once again affirming Iloilo City’s reputation for hosting world-class celebrations anchored on discipline, cooperation, and community pride.