Keep politics out of festival, keep it decent – priest

Twelve beauty contestants on snazzy sports cars led the parade down Osmeña Boulevard for yesterday’s kick-off of Cebu’s Sinulog festival.

To the beat of drums and a bouncy Sinulog jingle, hundreds of students danced in costumes of Southeast Asian neighbors as part of this year’s showcase of Cebu as an ASEAN “city of culture”.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama formally declared the festival open after a Mass at the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño, where political bickering  was muted in favor of cooperation for Cebu’s biggest fiesta.

Now that merrymaking has started, said Msgr. Roberto Alesna in his homily, “people should not lose sight of the essence of the celebration”  which  is devotion to the Sto. Niño or Child Jesus.

He said city officials should keeping the Sinulog free of politics and organizers should “keep the Sinulog decent and wholesome.”

The religious and touristy aspects of the Sinulog celebration share the limelight in the next nine days till Sunday, Jan. 15, where a grand street dancing competition  in Cebu City coincides with the peak of devotional Masses at the basilica.

“Let us keep the secular festivity, the Sinulog, decent and wholesome. Limpyo unta ang tanan nga presentation,” Msgr. Alesna said in his homily.

He asked elected officials to set aside their political differences during the celebration.

“Let us help keep the secular festivity apolitical.  Dili unta ni masagulan ug politika,” he said.

As expected, the priest said Masses were more important than Sinulog revelry.  He cited the first novena procession on Thursday when 80,000 people walked in the rain to the Basilica as a clear display of devotion.

Eyes were on Mayor Rama who sat beside Gov. Gwen Garcia, who both later walked together  to the altar to offer wine and sacred hosts at the Mass.

Councilor  Margot Osmeña and other city councilors sat behind them.

The two groups politely ignored each other

When it came to the part of the Mass where the priest  asked churchgoers to give the sign of peace to one another, Rama and Garcia didn’t greet the councilor.

Osmena turned around instead to greet fellow councilors beside her and at her back.  She left ahead of the others after receiving communion. Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young didn’t attend.

The Pilgrim Center was packed with people including members of the Sinulog Foundation Inc. who, with the mayor, distributed envelopes of cash to female candle vendors, a tradition, that honors the original “sinulog” dancers in the basilica.

After the Mass, all Cebu city officials left except Mayor Rama,who went on to join the Sinulog kickoff parade.

(In past years, it was a tradition for most elected city officials to join the three-kilometer parade from the basilica to the Cebu City Sports Center.)

SPORTS CARS

Miss Cebu candidates waved to people lining the street as they rode by on cars driven by members of the Sportscar Club of Cebu Inc.

Spectators admired the beauties as well as the sight of Mustangs, a yellow Corvette, a BMW and Porsche sports cars

Raul Alonso, the car association president, said this was their first time to join the parade, and did it as their “halad” or offering to the Sto. Nino.

Steffi Rose Pearson, lead dancer for Lumad Basakanon, and the Sinulog 2011 festival queen, danced on the streets behind the Miss Cebu candidates.

Dance troupes from the city’s universities and colleges followed.

The contingent of  the University of San Carlos wore different traditional costumes of  Asean nations.

They y were followed from dancers from the University of Cebu (Myanmar),  South Western University (Thailand), Cebu Institute of Technology – (Laos),  Cebu Doctors University (Vietnam), Cebu Normal University (Malaysia), University of San Jose Recolletos – (Singapore), St. Paul’s College ( Ifugaos of Cordillera)  Abellana National High School (Christians of Luzon), University of the Visayas (Muslims) and Carcar City – Filipiniana.

Today, another parade will take over Osmeña Boulevard for the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan.

Students from six public elementary and 11 high schools in Cebu province will compete, with the best performers earning a slot in the Sinulog grand parade on Jan. 15.

On Sunday, public schools from Cebu City will hold their Sinulog dance competition as well. /With Correspondent Tweeny Malinao