Photos courtesy of Anton Sheker

Sinulog organizers see few out-of-town contingents joining this month’s grand parade, but they won’t let it dampen the festive mood and ongoing preparations for the religious festival’s 30th anniversary of one of the biggest cultural event in the country.

Sinulog Foundation Inc. (SFI) executive director Ricky Ballesteros said they are now 80 percent done with the preparations for the Jan. 17 grand parade and other Sinulog activities, which will cost P25 million to stage.

Ballesteros promised Cebuanos and foreign visitors a whole day of fun and surprises, since they will go all-out in the production numbers during the grand parade.

Excellent musicality and creativity will give the parade and the finale a high entertainment value, he said, especially for those who will watch from the Cebu City Sports Center.

”We have finished all the preparations, we just have to implement them,” Ballesteros said.

Much as they want to have a lot of out-of-town contingents to join the 30th anniversary celebration of the biggest festival in the country, he said that some provinces are hesitant to join because it is an election year, when some restrictions are imposed on local government units.

SFI expected 12 out-of-town contingents to join, but only eight have confirmed their participation.

”We understand their situation because next year is an election year, and it will hamper their participation. The brighter side is that since it’s the 30th anniversary, there will be a lot of tourists. As early as now, most hotels are almost fully booked for the Sinulog weekend, and nearly all the flights are booked,” said Ballesteros.

With an “all-Cebu” theme, Sinulog 2010 will also be a nostalgic experience for Cebuanos, as the finale will bring them back to the roots of the Sinulog and the history of Cebu, starting from the pre-Spanish era to modern Cebu.

Innovations unique to a certain era will also be used as props, such as tartanillas during the Spanish time, and the Cadillac and trains during the American era.

Sinulog 2010 will also have the biggest stage to date, which is almost double the size of the stage in the previous parade.

It will have a 90-meter lagoon at the center where the image of the Sto. Nino will be on parade, as in the fluvial procession.

The stage will feature a life-sized structure of the Fort San Pedro during the day, and of the Basilica del Sto. Nino, Magellan’s Cross and Fuente Osmena circle in the evening.

Also during the finale, the songs “Sinulog! (Isyagit og kusog!)” and “Cebu” will be performed live by its original performer, Dandin Ranillo, who will come home from the US to attend the festivities.

Aside from a 37-piece orchestra, the University of San Carlos brass band, three tribal bands and a rondalla will perform with him on stage.

”It will be a grand and an all-Cebu production number, Cebuano talents will be featured to go with our theme. We will go all-out to make this an enjoyable and nostalgic experience for everyone, and definitely better than the lat Sinulog,” Ballesteros added. (PNA)

Get Philippine Travel News on your inbox - Join Lakbay Pilipinas Mailing List