History of Aliwan Fiesta

Manila Broadcasting Company, Inc. (MBC) holds the distinction of being the pioneer broadcast institution in the Philippines. Our flagship station DZRH began airing on July 1, 1939 under the Heacock Company and is the oldest surviving radio station in the country. Today, with over 200 stations throughout the archipelago, we are the largest broadcast network in Asia, and are proudly at the top of the ratings.

While the company is engaged primarily in radio broadcasting, we have also embraced live entertainment and special events, tapping grassroots entertainment such as fiestas to engage with our target audiences. When we coined the phrase, “one nation, one station, one vision” as our overriding corporate motto, it was with the hope that through popular entertainment such as our what we deliver on air, on land, and even on the waters of the archipelago, Filipinos can better appreciate MBC’s efforts to link our multitude of island cultures in the way we know best.

As the highest manifestation of community life in the country, fiestas have inspired some of the greatest and more enduring creations in Philippine arts, cuisine, and even attire. They also manifest our resilience and emit that ray of hope that has helped Filipinos to survive amid trials and adversities. Festivals, indeed, are excellent windows into the Filipino soul. It is through them that our customs and cultural nuances have taken root, even as we continue to bind together elements of our history and shared experiences.

Aliwan Fiesta is the ultimate feast for the senses, and since its inception in 2003, it has grown to massive proportions, surpassing all expectations, and now playing a lead role in bridging regional differences while manifesting our culture of peace and making festival tourism a potent force in creative industries development.