By Paulo Loreto Lim
Following an appearance by President Rodrigo Duterte at this year’s MassKara Festival, his second visit to the annual Bacolod City festival since being elected president, Iloilo City Mayor Jose Espinosa III personally extended an invitation last week to President Rodrigo Duterte for the upcoming Dinagyang Festival, which is scheduled to take place from January 26 to 28, 2018.
This year is of particular significance as the event will be celebrating its 50th anniversary.
The mayor said he hopes the president comes for the performances, noting it would be a historic gesture.
“If it happens, that the president decides to watch the performances, then he is going to be the first president in the 50 years of Dinagyang to do it,” said Espinosa.
He pointed out, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo came for the festival in 2008 and attended mass at the San Jose Parish Church; however, she did not stay for festival performances, which include events such as the Kasadyahan Festival, the festival’s cultural competition.
Back in October, Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino urged Iloilo City residents to formally request the president attend the festival, assuring, “Write my office a letter, I’ll bring him.”
He also downplayed talks claiming Duterte held a grudge against Iloilo, which he earlier referred to as most “shabu-lized.”/PLL, WDJ