Aliwan Fiesta
Aliwan Fiesta is an annual event that gathers different cultural festivals of the Philippines in Star City Complex in Pasay City wherein contingents compete in dance parade and float competitions. Organized by Manila Broadcasting Company together with Cultural Center of the Philippines and the cities of Manila and Pasay, the event is dubbed as "the Philippines' Grandest Fiesta," with prizes totaling P3 million. Aliwan Fiesta, which began in 2003, aims to showcase the different Filipino cultures and heritage not only to the people in Metro Manila but also to the rest of the world. The contingents, meanwhile, aim to promote their respective regions both economically and tourism-wise. It was originally organized as a visual extravaganza for the Christmas season, but it has since been held during the summer months of either April or May. Aliwan is a Tagalog word for "entertainment" or "amusement." Aliwan Fiesta festivities are covered live on DZRH News Television annually.
Competition
Aliwan Fiesta is divided into three categories: Cultural Street Dance Competition, Float Parade, and Reyna ng Aliwan competition. Each of the country's 17 regions have the option to send up to two contingents representing its respective cultural festival, as well as an option to send a representing float and or Reyna ng Aliwan contestant. However, the roster of entries for the cultural dance and float competitions are limited. In 2008, the number of slots for cultural dance was increased from 20 to 24 groups, which was completed as early as January. Each contingent in the cultural street dance competition—totaling up to 100 dancers as well as hundreds of musicians and support staff members—have undergone stringent elimination cycles during various local festivals before being chosen to compete in Aliwan Fiesta. The highlight of the event is when all competing festivals show off their dance skills while parading for four kilometers along Roxas Boulevard from Quirino Grandstand to Aliw Theater grounds located near CCP. The festivals range from the well-known such as Dinagyang of Iloilo City, Sinulog of Cebu City, and Panagbenga of Baguio, to the obscure but just-as-interesting feasts like Alikaraw of Hilongos, Leyte, Padang-Padang of Parang, Shariff Kabunsuan, and Pamitinan Festival of Rodriguez, Rizal. Side events also include a bazaar featuring different regional products, a photography contest, an inter-scholastic dance competition, Filipino street games, and a fireworks display.Meanwhile, the participating floats are only allowed to use local textiles, produce, flowers, and other products specific in their representing city in decorating the vehicles. Each float, portraying local folklore and indigenous traditions, is topped by a participant of Reyna ng Aliwan serving as muse. Laoag's PAMULINAWEN festival has the distinction of winning the float competition the most number of times.
The province of CEBU, in turn, holds the record of the most wins in the Reyna ng Aliwan Pageant—six consecutive times from 2009 until 2014, and recapturing the crown in 2016 and 2017. However in 2019, Cebu's Sinulog festival queen who won Reyna ng Aliwan was stripped of her title for having violated the terms and conditions of her reign. The Panagbenga festival queen assumed the title and her duties for the rest of the year—the third time a Baguio lass wore the crown. The Reyna ng Aliwan pageant is considered the training ground of many national pageant winners, who have also gone on to compete—and win—international titles. Among these are Jamie Herrell and Karla Henry who won Miss Earth; Rizzini Alexis Gomez and Angeli Dione Gomez, who won the Miss Tourism International crowns back-to-back; Cynthia Thomalla, who was crowned Miss Eco International; Sharifa Aqeel who was named Miss Asia Pacific International; Vera Eumee Reiter, who won Mutya ng Pilipinas; as well as Mary Jean Lastimosa, Rogelie Catacutan, and Ma. Ahtisa Manalo, who won Bb. Pilipinas titles.
The top ten contingents in the cultural dance and float competitions receive cash prizes, with the top float winner receiving P500,000 and the winning cultural dance group getting P1 million as well as the bragging rights of becoming the champion of Aliwan Fiesta. Meanwhile, the Reyna ng Aliwan receives P100,000.
Aliwan Fiesta also takes pride in foreign exposure given to its winners. Lumad Basakanon of Cebu's Sinulog, Tribu Panayanon of Iloilo Dinagyang, and the Manggahan Festival of Guimaras have all represented the country in various international festivals overseas. Aliwan Fiesta itself was featured in the Philippine pavilions at the 2011 Prague Quadrennial on Performance Space and Design, held in the Czech Republic; the Philippine delegation won the special children's prize for its efforts.
Aliwan Fiesta winners
Festival Dance (Street Dance) Competition
Special awards
- Dinagyang Festival of Iloilo City has had the most wins in the cultural dance category, first winning in 2004, followed by four straight championships from 2010 to 2013, as anchored by different contingents from various public high schools in Iloilo.
- Another contingent from Cebu, Sinulog sa Carmen, also won third place year 2008.
- Other Aliwan Fiesta streetdancing champions include Halad Festival of Midsayap, Cotabato and 2004 Dinagyang's Tribu Atub-Atub, 2005 Pintados de Passi of Passi City, Iloilo 2010 Dinagyang's Tribu Paghidaet, Dinagyang's Tribu Pan-ay in 2011, and in 2015 and 2016 Tribu Katbalaugan for the Manaragat Festival of Catbalogan City.
- In Aliwan Fiesta 2014 the Aliwan Hall of Fame awardee Lumad Basakanon of Sinulog Festival of Cebu reclaimed the Aliwan Fiesta Streetdancing Championship. Meguyaya Festival of Upi, Maguindanao came in second place, T'nalak Festival of South Cotabato in third place, followed by Pamulinawen Festival of Laoag City, Ilocos Norte in fourth and Caragan Festival of Mabalacat City, Pampanga in fifth place.
| Cultural Festival | Champions | Year |
| Dinagyang Festival | 6 | 2004, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017 |
| Sinulog Festival | 4 | 2006, 2007, 2008, 2014 |
| Manaragat Festival | 2 | 2015, 2016 |
| Halad Festival | 2 | 2003 |
| Buyogan Festival | 1 | 2009 |
| Pintados de Pasi Festival | 1 | 2005 |
Tugtog ng Aliwan
Float design
| Year | Champion | 2nd Place | 3rd Place | Runners-Up |
| 2007 | Guinakit | Desposorio Festival | Iloilo City: The Next Big Thing | Kalilang Limbonan Pinaginasan sa Maguindanao Panagbenga 2007 Chrislam: Unity in Diversity Boling-Boling Evo Pili: The Majestic Tree |
| 2006 | Biag-Ni-Lam-Ang | The Sabutan Rainbow Parrot Fish | Boling-Boling Festival | Panagbenga: Let A Thousand Flowers Bloom Himag-Ulaw Festival Pagayam Cry of Santa Barbara Antipolo Maytime Festival Awang Halamanan Festival |
| 2005 | Sabutan Festival | Paradise Found | Idiay Bangir | Desposorio-Pagpupugay sa Masaganang Buhay Halamanan Festival: Hardin ng Paraiso Passinhon nga Kultura Amligan Ta Layag Gensan Dinagyang Festival Ragsak Ti Biag The Grand Dundang |
| 2004 | Tawid | Let Thousands of Flowers Bloom More Than The Usual | Kanggunina | Ang Paghubog sa Banga ng Buhay Tangguan Ibanyuhay sa Rizal Kahilwayan Festival Apoy Daramba Dinagyang Festival Ciudad de Flores |
| 2003 | Pamulinawen Festival | Singkaban Festival | Hermosa Festival | Padang-Padang Festival Higantes and Parejadoras Panagbenga Festival Asia Brewery Sapatero Festival |
| 2003 | Guinakit Festival | Panagbenga: Let A Thousand Flowers Bloom | Dinagyang Festival Pamulinawen: Sunshine City Torogan sa Ranao |
Reyna ng Aliwan winners
| Year | Reyna ng Aliwan | Festival Origin | Cultural Festival | Post Pageant Title/s | International Competition |
| 2019 | Roi Neeve Comanda ' | Baguio | Panagbenga Festival | ||
| 2019 | Nicole Borromeo | Cebu | Sinulog Festival | Miss Millennial Philippines 2019 | |
| 2018 | Chelsea Lovely Fernandez | Tacloban | Sangyaw Festival | Miss Water Philippines 2019 | |
| 2017 | Marla Alforque | Cebu | Sinulog Festival | Miss Earth Philippines 2019 Runner-up/Top 10 | |
| 2016 | Cynthia Thomalla | Cebu | Sinulog Festival | Miss Eco Philippines 2017 | Miss Eco International 2018 Winner |
| 2015 | Stephanie Joy Abellanida | Midsayap | Halad Festival | Binibining Pilipinas 2018 candidate | |
| 2014 | Steffi Rose Aberasturi | Cebu | Sinulog Festival | Binibining Cebu 2018 | |
| 2013 | Jamie Herrell | Cebu | Sinulog Festival | Miss Philippines Earth 2014 | Miss Earth 2014 Winner |
| 2012 | Angeli Dione Gomez | Cebu | Sinulog Festival | Binibining Pilipinas 2013 candidate Mutya ng Pilipinas 2013 Tourism International | Miss Tourism International 2013-2014 Winner |
| 2011 | Rogelie Catacutan | Cebu | Sinulog Festival | Miss World Philippines 2011 Top 12 Binibining Pilipinas Supranational 2015 | Miss Supranational 2015 Top 20 |
| 2010 | Rizzini Alexis Gomez † | Cebu | Sinulog Festival | Miss World Philippines 2012 candidate Mutya ng Pilipinas Tourism International 2012 | Miss Tourism International 2012-2013 Winner |
| 2009 | Sian Elizabeth Maynard | Cebu | Sinulog Festival | Miss Philippines Earth 2010 Top 10 | |
| 2008 | Mary Jean Lastimosa | Davao | Kadayawan Festival | Binibining Pilipinas 2011 2nd Runner-up Binibining Pilipinas 2012 Top 12 Finalist Miss Universe Philippines 2014 | Miss Universe 2014 Top 10 Finalist |
| 2007 | Mary Jane dela Cruz | Bulacan | Desposorio Festival | Binibining Pilipinas 2009 candidate | |
| 2006 | Vera Eumee Reiter | Baguio | Panagbenga Festival | Binibining Pilipinas 2006 candidate Mutya ng Pilipinas Tourism International 2006 | |
| 2005 | Syrel Aubrey Amazona | Baguio | Panagbenga Festival | ||
| 2004 | Jasmin Versoza | Laoag | Pamulenawen Festival | ||
| 2003 | Tisha Veloso' | Leyte | Sangyaw Festival |
Cebu has won the crown in six consecutive years followed by Baguio then Davao, Bulacan and Laoag.