Dagoy - The official mascot of Dinagyang festival

About Dagoy

Dagoy is towering six feet and nine inches tall, three-dimensional mascot that has evolved from just a mere icon. His birth is a product of imagination and desire, not just by a single person but also of people who are working diligently to make the Dinagyang festival a part of everyone's day-to-day life.

Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation Inc. (IDFI) Executive Director Ben Jimena related that the mascot now is the once caricature used by the marketing group headed by Francis de la Cruz as a promo material. This happened in 2002, the first time time the festival was handled by the foundation.

Chris Bayani, an artist from Manila, drawing inspiration from his adopted daughter, delicately prepared a sketch of the icon that was later made as the official logo of the festival. His faces then were seen on posters, T-shirts and streamers everywhere. Years later, the foundation tapped the expertise of the San Pablo Sineng Laya Corporation based in Las Piñas, Manila to prepare a life-size mascot of "Dagoy".

Dagoy's first public appearance was on December 11, 2004 at the The Fort in Taguig during the official launching of the festival in Manila. He made his presence felt in Iloilo City during Pamukaw on December 18, 2004.

He has also attended the opening of the Dinagyang exhibits at SM City Iloilo on January 10, 2005, his first public appearance for that year. Jimena stressed though that aside from the Dinagyang-related activities, he is also expected to attend various special occasions of the city to make the public more aware of the festival. "Wherever Dagoy goes, people will be reminded of the Dinagyang festival", Jimena stressed. "Once Dagoy shakes your hand, it simply means that you are welcome in Iloilo". Jimena described Dagoy as a friendly Aeta kid. He's a loveable child and very attractive to other children.

Dagoy wears a fiber glass head dress bearing the picture of Santo Niño. The dominant colors are black and gold. He also has a camel-colored bahag, the typical attire of Aetas. He is holding a drum made of fiber glass bearing the logo of Iloilo City government printed at the center. His hands and feet are adorned with multi-colored bracelets similar to the one being worn by ati-ati
warriors.

He is expected to have a change in outfit every year, though Jimena said that they are going to copy the costume of the tribe that will be declared as best in
costume every Dinagyang contest.

Just like any other kid Dagoy was christened on January 14, 2005, a symbol of welcoming him to the Christian world, on the day of opening salvo at the San Jose Parish church in Plaza Libertad, Iloilo City. From there he will be placed side by side with the Santo Niño de Cebu in an open van and they are going to tour the city, following the route of parade.

In the coming years, expect more innovations to come, according to Jimena. He said their group never gets tired thinking of what is best for the festival. And the birth of Dagoy after 36 long years is just but one of these innovations they have made.