Analyzing Discourse Patterns Across Dapitan’s Kinabayo Festival Tarpaulins

This paper analyzes tarpaulins produced for the Kinabayo Festival (KF) in Dapitan City every July 25 in commemoration of the Moro invasion heroism of the horse-riding apparition carrying a sword, Senyor Santiago. The KF has instigated to be a religious spectacle among Dapitan aficionados, but through the years, it diversely evolved into a social and economic rather a historical, cultural and spiritual event. To qualitatively analyze how visual elements in KF tarpaulins contribute to this shift in perception, tarpaulins designed every July from 2013 to 2018 were purposively-chosen and subjected to Multimodal Discourse Analysis, guided by Kress and van Leeuwen’s visual grammar to interpret conveyed meanings. The study revealed that the deployment of dynamic modes reflected in KF tarpaulins highlights the city’s glorious history and culture and picturesque landscape and landmarks entailing vitality, innovation and modernization effectively market Dapitan City. However, the constructed meanings within these images frame the KF as a social and economic affair rather than a religious event. The study underscores the role of artists as empowered cultural mediators who navigate between traditional moral sensibilities and progressive artistic expression. To enhance the effectiveness of festival promotions, the local government unit (LGU) or relevant offices, such as the city tourism department, should consider commissioning artists who are not only skilled in graphic design but also visually literate in semiotics. Artists reveal moral sensibilities and cultural norms likewise conservative, but progressive and attentive making them empowered information producers, however, to serve the purpose, the local government unit (LGU) or relevant offices such as the city tourism may put emphasis on commissioning artists who are not only credentialed in graphics and designing but also visually literate who can produce a meaningful visual text in shaping the local culture to significantly promote agreement between and among consumers and producers. Alternatively, seeking consultation from a semiotician before production could ensure that the visual narratives align with the intended cultural messaging, fostering a more meaningful connection between producers and audiences.