FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS. The municipal hall of Pototan, Iloilo was adorned with colorful lights during the 2010 Iwag Festival. The annual celebration will again take a pause this year now but the local government hoped to have it revived once the health pandemic is over. (PNA photo by PGLena)
ILOILO CITY – The Municipality of Pototan home of the "Iwag" Festival of Lights on Friday quashed reports circulating in social media that the attraction is back this year.
The festival used to be a byword come December of every year and even earned the town the moniker "Christmas Capital of Western Visayas".
Restrictions imposed by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) due to the health pandemic, however, resulted in the attraction to take a pause, said Pototan tourism officer Kathy Provido in an interview.
Provido said that on December 19 there was reportedly a Facebook post announcing the opening of the festival on the following day.
The local government has yet to pinpoint the source of the report but the mayor's office was swamped with queries about the festival's opening.
Provido added that they were caught off guard when 3,000 people were in the plaza when they switched on the lights on December 20.
She clarified that while the plaza was adorned with lights, yet the "Iwag Festival of Lights" is not officially back.
“Our municipal government really looked forward to come up with better lightings and decors that could surpass those previous years. We hope that we can have that again in the future,” Provido added.
The festival, officially named Iwag from the Hiligaynon term meaning light, falls on December 16 every year since 1997 and will last until January 1st of the following year,
The festival highlights the artistry of the people of Pototan in designing Christmas ornaments and breathing life into them using shimmering lights.
“As a Christmas tradition, Pototatons under the leadership of the late mayor Manuel “Quedo” Parcon, shared the message of love and joy to everyone by beautifully lighting the municipal plaza and buildings surrounding it,” Provido said.
She added that it brought pride and honor to residents of Pototan when it became a regional attraction.
Before the pandemic, around 8,000 to 10,000 tourists would troop to the town to witness the thousands of lights installed in the 2.5-hectare plaza and its surrounding buildings.
It also gave local performers the chance to showcase their talents during the nightly shows.
The festival provided small vendors with livelihood as food courts were popular among the visitors.
Amusement rides were likewise available for children.
The festival was borne out of a public-private partnership with the local government allotting around PHP3 million to PHP5 million annually for the festival, and private sponsors and donors helping out.
“This kind of activity requires consistent funding. It is funded under the cultural arts and development program of the municipality,” she said.
Though, the attraction is not yet ready to welcome visitors, "the local government though has a plan should the situation gets better," Provido added. (PNA)
