DANCE FOR ‘NIñO’ Dancers from the Bailes de Luces of La Castellana of Negros Occidental province perform in the streets of South Road Properties in Cebu City on Sunday. The event was the first in-person dance parade of the Sinulog Festival, held every third Sunday of January in honor of the Señor Santo Niño, since the coronavirus pandemic struck in March 2020. —DALE ISRAEL
CEBU CITY — The 10 contingents that backed out of this city’s Sinulog Festival are bringing their performances on Jan. 22 to Carmen town, some 41 kilometers north Cebu.
The 10 contingents were supposed to compete in Sinulog on Jan. 15, but backed out three days before the event due to safety concerns at the South Road Properties that hosted the festival for the first time.
The cities of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, Talisay, Naga, Carcar, and Toledo, as well as the municipalities of Moalboal, Tuburan, and Carmen will compete on Jan. 22 in the open category of “Sinulog sa Carmen.”
Five other groups from Cebu City will join the Sinulog sa Carmen, done in honor of the Santo Niño or the Holy Child Jesus.
These include the Lumad Basakanon, Banay Labangon, Tribu Mabolokon of barangays Mabolo, Tejero, and Tisa.
While the city’s Sinulog is prominent and well attended, the first-ever Sinulog took place in Carmen in 1974 and has become the town’s annual festivity.
Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia stressed that the province was not competing with the city’s Sinulog.
“There is no desire to compete at all, but circumstances have forced us to take this course,” Garcia said.
City Mayor Michael Rama shared the same sentiment, as he wished the Sinulog sa Carmen a success.
He said there was no reason to be mad at the 10 contingents who withdrew from the city’s Sinulog Grand Parade.
“It’s still ‘Pit Senyor.’ We need to rely on faith. That is important. May we never forget the essence of spirituality and religiosity, particularly our faith in Señor Sto. Niño,” Rama said.
The mayor said he would not be able to attend the Sinulog sa Carmen as he did not receive an invitation from the provincial government or the Carmen local government.
He added he also had another event to attend that day.
Rama approved the request from the Office of Governor Garcia for some portable bathrooms to be used by the Sinulog participants in Carmen.
Rama said the city government could also send the container vans-turned-comfort rooms, if needed.
Crmen Mayor Carlo Villamor said they considered this year’s Sinulog sa Carmen as the grandest festival.
Contingents, he said, were expected to arrive in Carmen on Friday and Saturday for their blocking and rehearsal.
The town was preparing the schools as temporary shelters for the contingents.
Garcia recently ordered a truck ban in Carmen and neighboring localities during the Sinulog sa Carmen on Jan. 22 and 23.
The truck ban would be from midnight of Jan. 22 to midnight of Jan. 23 between Danao City and Carmen and the neighboring municipalities of Carmen and Catmon.
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