‘It’s more fun in Cebu‘s Sinulog’

HALF the fun of the Sinulog is experiencing the revelry in the streets, where people are dancing and having a good time.

On F. Ramos Street, a group of foreigners and some Filipino friends ran around asking locals at random to take a sip from the beer bottles they were drinking.

Two companions followed their antics with a video camera.

Crazy fun? Making fun of Cebuano hosts?

No offense meant, said Kristin Kidd, a Canadian actress dressed in a comical costume.

She told Cebu Daily News they were shooting a film, part of a reality gag show, to be posted on the Internet channel, Channelfix.

It’s their first time in Cebu and the Sinulog.

“It’s incredible. It’s so much fun and much different than other festivals. I’ve been to different countries and watched their festivals but this (Sinulog) is very unique. It’s very cultural from the people to the dances to the costumes,” Kidd said.

CORDON ALONG THE PARADE ROUTE

Getting a close look at dance contingents was like playing hide and seek with street marshals.

Revelers would slip through rope cordons to take photos.

Crowd control was less than strict.

Past 4 p.m. a policeman along General Maxilom Avenue, across Raintree Mall, noticed the rope cordon for the parade contingents had already dropped to the ground.

Where was the security person in charge of that rope section? The policeman found the rope tied to a ‘No Stopping Sign’.

DRINK AND BE MERRY

Teens and young adults danced on the street and drank with abandon like the lyrics of the song “Party like its 2012”.

Guys took off their shirts to expose wet tattoos on their backs.

Restobars in Juana Osmena St. and Gen. Maxilom Avenue were full with customers cheering, shouting and dancing to techno music blaring from sound speakers.

“Most of those dancing near the DJ nangaligo na sa beer,” said Joe Mike Sequihod, a customer in a restobar in Juana Osmeña Street.

In another bar, a barakada dumped water over their friends.

Beer and liquor drinking were a common sight.

Even parade floats had participants drinking out of liquor bottles.

TATTOO ART

Body paint was the most popular accessory in the Sinulog.

For P20 to P50, one could get a henna tattoo at a stall, usually tribal designs for guys and mostly flower symbols for the girls.

Customers waited patiently at tatto clubs for half an hour or longer to be painted in festival colors.

PHOTO CONTEST

Photographers who paid P1,000 each to join the Sinulog photo contest swarmed route sites where judges for the street dancing competition were located.

Instead of giving performers room to move, the dancing area got narrowed as eager photographers pushed closer to get a shot.

No one was calling their attention except crew members of each dance contingent.

FLOATS THROWING SOUVENIRS

To avoid a stampede, people on floats weren’t supposed to throw merchandise or prizes to the crowd.

Not everyone obeyed.

The M.L Kwarta Padala float was still giving out free fans T-shirts to revelers at Fuente Osmeña and across Camp Sergio Osmeña Sr.

CHOKEPOINT

The area along Fuente Osmena circle remained a choke point of the parade route.

As of 2 p.m., dance contingents had difficulty moving forward. The crowd was pressing into the cordoned area.

Rowdy crowds were at the junction of Fuente Osmena Circle and Mango Avenue.

Some contingents brought their own rope cordons but they were no match of spectators pushing close up.

The no-alcohol ban on the parade route wasn’t’ followed. Some spectators in Fuente Osmena and Mango Avenue openly drank beer.

FUENTE HOOPS, SKATERS

Coca-cola had a creative way to teach people to clean up their mess. At Fuente Osmena, several corners in the park had basketball hoops mounted above about 30 trash bins.

People were showing off their dunking skills, usually drinkers of soda and beer cans.

By noon, the trash cans were half full. The park was swarming with barbecue vendors.

Teenagers on skateboards and rollerblades were scene stealers on Osmena Boulevard.

They showed off their skills on improvised ramps. Their companions were busy drawing henna tattoos for a fee.

MEDIA CENTER

The airconditioned media center below the Grandstand of the Cebu City Sports Center was equipped with fast WiFi Internet and computers.

But most journalists brought their own tablets and laptops.

The Internet connection was faster this year.

Hotdog and ham sandwiches were served along with coffee and bottled water.