Serna: Star-studded Sinulog, a roaring success

COLORFUL! Magnificent! Superb! Spectacular! Fabulous! Fantastic! These and many other adjectives are the ones we hear after the Sinulog Festival.

We, Cebuanos, have heard them before and we heard them once more. Kudos to the Sinulog Foundation, whose members practically cracked their skulls to think of better ways to improve each year’s holding of the so-called “Mother of all Festivals” in the country.

The Cebuano populace, in general, should also not rest on its laurels. It should also exert an effort to maintain the beautiful traits that we are known for: the warmth, the friendliness, the hospitality, being peace-loving and God-fearing and everything nice. Viva Cebu!

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Last Jan. 17, Mandaue City held the first edition of the Panagtagbo Festival (its third after Mantawi and Comparsa), which highlights the meeting of the Virgin of Guadalupe, St. Joseph and the Señor Sto. Niño, which is what the Traslacion ritual—one of the highlights of the Pista Senyor celebration—is all about.

The city’s barangays were grouped into seven clusters that presented the Panagtagbo using varied concepts. This early, the new festival shows a lot of promise to make it big in the coming editions.

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As in past celebrations, the Pista Senyor and its accompanying events were made more exciting with the attendance of many celebrities from “showbizlandia” among them Asia’s Queen of Songs Pilita Corrales who did a show at the Ayala Center Cebu Terraces; the cast of Tempation of Wife including Marian Rivera, Dennis Trillo, Rafael Rossel, Glaiza de Castro, Michelle Madrigal and Betina Carlos; and

The cast of Pahiram ng Sandali including Dingdong Dantes, Lorna Tolentino and Max Collins; and the cast of Indio including Sen. Bong Revilla, Jennylyn Mercado, Rhian Santos, Alden Richards and Ehra Madrigal.

The Kapuso stars did a show at the SM City Cebu Event Center the day before the grand parade. The Indio stars also boarded GMA 7’s float during the Sinulog grand parade.

The Blackberry Barkada of Enchong Dee, Rayver Cruz and Gerald Anderson also made the audience scream and shout with their sexy dance moves at the SM City Cebu Northwing.

Balikbayan singer Archie D, whose composition Pit Senyor 2013 was made this year’s Sinulog theme song, graced one of the Sinulog Idol’s elimination rounds and also the Pilita show in Ayala.

Also sighted at the grand parade were Slater Young, Ryan Bang, Richard Yap, Vice Ganda, Enchong Dee, Coco Martin, Erich Gonzales, Neil Coleta, Gina Pareño, Joel Torre, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Giselle Sanchez, JM de Guzman, Maricar Reyes, Paul Jake Castillo and Melissa Ricks.

Psalmstre Enterprises’ Jim Acosta brought to Cebu his company’s new endorsers in the persons of Mr. Manhunt International 2012 June Macasaet and Ms. Earth-Air 2012 Stephany Stefanowitz—the latest endorser of Psalmstre’s flagship product, the New Placenta anti-aging and whitening beauty line.

Two days before the grand parade, Christian Bautista, together with Cebu’s top bands, delighted the crowd that gathered at the Gaisano Country Mall parking area.

Cebu, being a haven of talented performers, had various shows highlighting these gifted individuals like the Sinulog Idol search and the Cebu Popular Music Festival, to name just two.

Of course, there were still many others but since I had not been going around that much due to work-related activities and had watched the parade already late in the afternoon, they were the only ones that caught my attention.

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Congratulations to the top three winners of the 33rd Cebu Popular Music Festival held last Jan. 18 at the Cebu Coliseum. The winning songs were Magkuyog Ta, Panalipdan Ta by Fr. Charles Louis Jayme, grand prize; Balik Na Pinangga Ko by Jade Castro, second; and Amomahon Ta by Niño James Bañares, third.

Eleven-year-old Knch Lhnn Cabillo, who sang Erwin Lirazan’s Salamat, was adjudged best interpreter.

The University of the Visayas Chorale wowed the audience with its vocal harmony and choreography. What caught me by surprise was Cebu pop alumna Anna Fegi’s mentioning my name and pointing in my direction in the judges’ table while saying in jest that I might kill her if she won’t sing a Cebuano song.

Truth to tell, I insisted that she sing a Cebuano song to endear her more to the crowd, which she did.