The fire at Barangay Pasil that briefly interrupted the performance of the village’s contingent in the Sinulog sa Barangay. —BENJIE TALISIC
CEBU CITY — The contingent from Barangay Pasil was waiting for its turn to perform in Cebu City Sports Center for the Sinulog sa Barangay when its members received the bad news: Fire was raging in their village.
They rushed home to check on their loved ones.
The fire started from the second floor of the house owned by a certain Elly Petalcoren past noon on Sunday, before Tribu Mahugyawon Pasil, the village’s official contestant in the Sinulog sa Barangay, could perform at the sports center grandstand.
The fire spread to at least 300 homes in the densely populated, urban poor village, before firefighters from all over Cebu City and the province put the blaze under control past 2 p.m.
No one was reported hurt while the cause of fire remained unknown.
Exemption
Since Barangay Pasil’s performers had gone home to check on their families, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña decided to give them a slot in the Sinulog Grand Parade on Jan. 21 even if they had not performed.
“Today, an accident happened in one village. The entire contingent could not perform. I will give an exemption,” the mayor said during his opening speech for the Sinulog sa Barangay 2018 competition.
“They are automatically included in the grand parade this Sunday,” Osmeña said.
Members of the contingent from Barangay Pasil perform during the Sinulog sa Barangay shortly after fire destroyed 300 houses in their village. —LITO TECSON / CEBU DAILY NEWS
But members of Tribu Mahugyawon of Barangay Pasil managed to get back to Cebu City Sports Center to prove that they deserved a slot in the Sinulog Grand Parade.
And the crowd cheered them on as they gave their all in a dance that sought to raise awareness of animal welfare.
The Sinulog sa Barangay and the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan on Saturday were among the series of Sinulog activities to celebrate the feast of the Holy Child Jesus.