In the recent Aliwan Fiesta 2009 Streetdancing Competition held last April 25, 2009 in Quirino Grandstand & Aliw Theater, TRIBU MODELIAN of Lakbayaw Festival of Tondo, Manila performed a routine that was inherently Ilonggo.  Their performance was actually the one performed by Tribu Paghidaet of Dinagyang Festival from Iloilo during the Aliwan Fiesta 2008 Streetdancing competition.

TRIBU MODELIAN (Lakbayaw Festival) copied every single bit of detail of Tribu Paghidaet's Aliwan 2008 performance.  The artistry that was inherently Ilonggo, a product of tough mindwork and effort, an intellectual property was copied and was even used against them when Lakbayaw Festival performed the routine being questioned in the same venue where Tribu Paghidaet was a co-competitor. 

Worse, this January 2010, in the Lakbayaw Festival 2010 celebration, TRIBU MODELIAN copied and used Tribu Paghidaet's performance made during the Aliwan 2009.  This act marked the second time that Tribu Modelian copied the Tribu Paghidaet's routine.  Two acts of copying of two original dance routines for two straight years.  What an achievement, TRIBU MODELIAN!

Please visit http://timlibunao.blogspot.com/2009/04/ggg.html (scroll down a bit to find the videos) then watch and compare the videos and see for yourself the grandest art theft committed in the grandest fiesta in the Philippines.

Originality in all forms art be it in paintings, a song, dance or costumes is the highest appraised element of an artwork.  An artwork on the other hand, most especially a festival dance concept that includes the use of costumes and props, a dance routine or a festival performance choreography is a brainchild, a product of tough mindwork and effort of a choreographer who labored many days and nights just to produce quality outcome.  When someone copies that, the  hardships of the creator is put to waste because another group bearing the same concept claims ownership of it by using it as their competiton routine. 

When Lakbayaw Festival of Tondo competed in the Aliwan 2009 using Tribu Paghidaet's Aliwan 2008 routine and even competed with them on the same venue where the questioned routine was performed, things went out of bounds.  They copied everysingle bit of the concept and claimed it as their own.

We, the undersigned, therefore would like to petition that Lakbayaw Festival be sanctioned or punished for the lousy and criminal-like act they have committed.  Aliwan Organizers should not allow Lakbayaw to join anymore nor should they festivals with copied routines to join.  The organizers are also urged to require Lakbayaw to do a public apology.  We also request tha all efforts to sanction Lakbayaw be made public to appease the flaming hearts of the Ilonggo community, moreso of Tribu Paghidaet who were offended by this lowly act.

Thank you very much for the time to read this and we sincerely expect that something significant will happen out of this.