Good weather, happy tourists favor Sinulog parade

“THIS is the best festival I’ve seen in the Philippines,” said Polish tourist Wesley Dudzinski.

He watched the Sinulog parade  for the first time with his wife Neri Papas yesterday.

They also attended the fluvial parade last Saturday and two novena Masses in the Basilica del Sto. Niño.

He said he’s glad he followed the advice of his friends  abroad, who come to watch the Sinulog every year.

Australian Amanda White was  another first-time spectator in the Sinulog grandstand with her  Australian husband.

“We’ll be coming back next year because we’re really having fun,” she said.

At the 12,000-capacity grandstand, all spaces were occupied by a mix of locals, foreigners and balikbayans who would applaud, shout “wow” and whip out their camera phones as each dance contingent performed.

* * *

Weathermen predicted rain but the skies remained clear and dry all day.

It was the first time in 10 years the parade was rain-free, said organizers.

* * *

Pickpocketing incidents were reported but generally, the Sinulog festival was peaceful said  Chief Supt. Marcelo Garbo, regional police director in Central Visayas.

Despite  reminders to refrain from tossing freebies at the crowd, “Some actors and actresses on floats were throwing giveaways.”

“It’s always a  potential problem for crowd control,” said Garbo, who said he would ask organizers in the Sinulog Foundation Inc. to implement a strict ban.

Aside from politicians, showbiz stars from rival networks GMA-7 and ABS-CBN paraded in floats and drew the loudest cheers from Sinulog revelers and visitors.

* * *

The parade was preceded by an 8 a.m. Masss at the Cebu City Sports Center.

In his homily, Msgr. Emilio Bataclan said that  even as a child, Jesus Christ obeyed his parents.

He exhorted the youth to always obey their parents as Christ obeyed His.

Cebu City  Mayor Michael Rama and Acting Cebu Gov. Agnes Magpale led the offertory.

The stadium was already filled up with spectators before the Mass ended.

* * *

The parade opened with the performance of  renowned choreographer  and Sto. Niño devotee Val Sandiego and his wife Ophelia, who danced to the song “Balaang Sto. Niño” dressed as San Jose and Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Members of the Sandiego Dance Company reenacted the  first baptism of Cebuano natives  and scenes from the  life of teenage martyr Pedro Calungsod, the first Visayan saint.

There was no contingent from the Cebu city government or provincial governmnet to open the parade as in previous years.

* * *

On stage, larger-than-life puppets of Elvis Presley, Tinker Bell, a clown, Cookie Monster, NBA and superstar Lebron James showed the creativity of their makers.

The dance competition started at 10 a.m. with public school winners in the 2013 Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan and Dakbayan  getting on stage ahead of the out of town contingents.

Aside from the San Diego Company, the contingent from Gregoria Milan Elementary School of Balamban town in west Cebu also performed a dance depicting the life of Saint Calungsod, using two tarpaulins containing Calungsod’s pictures and a Sto. Nino image as backdrop.

Ballesteros said they encouraged choreographers to incorporate Calungsod’s canonization into their dances.

“The Calungsod canonization is the most significant event in the modern era,” he said.

* * *

Carcar City  transformed the stage into a library with large bookshelves and dancers carrying books in their hands.

Contingents from Masbate which bagged last year’s Sinulog major awards also showcased their talents in front of the big crowd.

San Diego dancers returned to the Sinulog stage at 7 p.m. to close this year’s competition.

They introduced the grand finale performnce which featured 2012 Ms. Tourism International winner Rizzini Alexis Gomez.

A musical fireworks display over the sports center capped the grand event which lasted for seven minutes. Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac, Senior Reporter Marian Z. Codilla, Reporter Jucell Marie P. Cuyos and Correspondents Joy Cherry S. Quito and Christine Emily L. Pantaleon