Sinulog festival gets underway in Cebu

CEBU CITY, Philippines —  Devotees kicked off celebrations of the feast of the Señor Sto. Niño de Cebu on its eve with a colorful fluvial parade on Mactan Channel on Saturday.

A fleet  of dozens of bancas (outrigger boats), barges and cruise ships packed with devotees, escorted the MV Santo Niño de Cebu bearing an image of the Child Jesus that was blessed by Blessed John Paul II.

Also on the main vessel was an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of Cebu.

The fluvial parade started at about 7 a.m. from the Ouano Wharf in Mandaue City and ended two hours laters at Pier 1 in the Port of Cebu across the channel from Mactan Island. It was preceded by a Mass and foot procession that carried the statues from the Saint Joseph Church in Mandaue City to the Ouano Wharf.

The devotees at sea were led by Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, both of whom danced the Sinulog carrying another image of the Sto. Niño.

Thousands more watched the procession from the shore or from ships docked in the piers. They waved and honked horns as the image of the Santo Niño passed them by. Some set off firecrackers. There were also dance contingents in costumes paying homage to the Sto. Niño.

The vessel with the icons of the Santo Niño and the Virgin Mary were escorted by the clergy and  several men dressed as Spanish sailors.

A foot procession from the Cebu port area bore the images to the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño for a Mass that featured a reenactment of the first Mass and Baptism in Cebu in 1521.

On that occasion, the original images of the Sto. Niño and the Virgin Mary were given by Ferdinand Magellan and Augustinian missionaries to Cebu’s King Humabon and Queen Humahay, who were christened Carlo and Juana.