NOT IN CEBU A couple dress their child in clothes resembling those worn by the Sto. Niño icon during festivities in Pagadian City. —LEAH AGONOY
PAGADIAN CITY — At least 25,000 devotees celebrated the feast of the Child Jesus at the wharf here in a demonstration of faith detached by distance from the main celebration in Cebu province.
“It’s a lot cheaper than traveling to Cebu City,” said Adriano Durano III, chair of the festival committee that put together the Santo Niño event.
The smaller version of Cebu’s Sinulog, in honor of the Child Jesus, drew also tourists and devotees from other provinces.
Durano said it was a more practical way for people to join the festivities for Sto. Niño.
100 boats
A dawn Mass was celebrated and followed by a fluvial procession joined by at least 100 fishing boats.
Just like in Cebu, a dance contest was held in the city streets with participants from different schools.
Similar performances in honor of Santo Niño were held at the city plaza.
Although the crowd was not as big as in Cebu, authorities took security measures a step further.
The National Telecommunications Commission directed telecom companies Smart, Globe and Digitel to cut off network services in the city on Saturday from 2 a.m. to noon and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Trash talk
In Cebu City, Mayor Tomas Osmeña reminded revelers to keep venues of the festivities clean.
“Don’t forget that we only have one city. So don’t throw your trash anywhere,” the mayor said in his speech opening the Sinulog.
Osmeña said garbage stations had been placed around the Sinulog route so there was no reason for the people to throw their garbage anywhere.
At exactly 9:30 a.m., the mayor officially opened the Sinulog 2019 Grand Parade inside the Cebu City Sports Center.
The Cebu City police office estimated at least 10,000 spectators as early as 10 a.m.
Chief Insp. Eduard Sanchez, Fuente police station chief, said no untoward incident marred the holding of the parade. —Reports from Leah Agonoy and Nestle Semilla