As tourists, pilgrims, out-of-town contingents, and balikbayans stream into Cebu, public focus shifts to events leading up to the province’s biggest festival – the Sinulog.
Despite the intense media attention on the six-month suspension of Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, who continues to defy the order of President Aquino, the chief organizer of the festival said the conflict in the Capitol has not dampened enthusiasm or thrown obstacles in their efforts to mount the week-long activities of the Sinulog.
“We are not affected with the ongoing conflict in the Capitol,” said Ricky Ballesteros, executive director of the Sinulog Foundation Inc.
“We’ve been preparing since July. Thanks to the cooperation of all Cebuanos who have supported Sinulog, it will be a success,” he told Cebu Daily News.
Ballesteros said even the decision to invite the suspended governor to participate in the Sunday parade was made in the spirit of unity.
“We want to show that the city and province are one in celebrating the Sinulog,” he said.
“That’s what the Sinulog is about, setting aside politics even for a day, for the Senor Sto. Niño and all peace-loving Cebuanos.”
While Garcia remains undecided about dancing the sinulog on stage in the Cebu City Sports Center or leading the Liloan municipal Rosquillos Festival contingent, Ballesteros said he hopes she would make up her mind soon.
“If Governor Gwen makes a last-minute decision, let’s see if we can make necessary adjustments. But that’s going to be a security nightmare so she has to decide early enough so we can make preparations,” he said.
“The sooner the better.”
Ballesteros and other SFI organizers visited Garcia last week in her office, where she’s been holed up since Dec. 19 as an act of protest against her suspension.
They also went to see Acting Gov. Agnes Magpale,who authorized the release of P500,000 as financial assistance for the festival, a lower amount than last year’s P3 million aid due to financial constraints in the Capitol.
Ballesteros said the SFI backed by the Cebu city government was “95 percent ready” for the Sunday parade and dance competition which will draw a crowd of spectators which the police estimate to reach over 2 million.
Side by side with the revelry, are the church-led activities where overflowing crowds of devotees attend novena Masses in the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño and the outdoor Pilgrim Center.
A second major dawn procession “Walk with Mary” on Thursday to the basilica will precede the next day’s traslacion or ceremonial transfer of the Sto. Niño image from its shrine in Cebu City to Mandaue City.
A pilgrim or traveling image is used for processions.
The original icon, a 16th century wooden image given as a gift by Ferdinand Magellan to the wife of Rajah Humabon, is believed to be a source of miracles by thousands of devotees and will remain in the basilica.
After an overnight stay in Mandaue city, the icon, will travel by sea in a fluvial procession from the Ouano wharf back to Cebu City on Saturday. Later at 1 p.m. a solemn foot procession down major streets is expected to cause gridlock in the heart of the city as traffic rerouting affects all adjoining streets.
Cebu City Police Chief Andres Natu-el said the religious procession last year drew 1.8 million to 2 million devotees. He expects a bigger crowd this weekend.
Sunday’s grand parade is expected to draw over a million people as well “but it gets bigger each year”, said Ballesteros.
Natuel, citing police figures, said the grand parade and other Sinulog events on Sunday last year drew 3.5 million people and could reach 4.5 million although Ballesteros said he found the number excessive.
“But we agree that the crowd gets bigger every year,” said Ballesteros.
The parade route is 6.1 kilometers long with a thousand policemen deployed along it.
Crowd control forces number about 6,000 with 25 medical stations manned by the Cebu Medical Society, with 25 free water stations of the Metro Cebu Water District, and 600 radio communications led by the National Telecommunications Commission and many volunteer groups, he said.