15 out-of-town groups in Sinulog

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

FIFTEEN provinces and cities outside Cebu will join some 30 local contingents in next month’s Sinulog grand parade, which will also feature 500 performers for the grand finale.

Next month’s Sinulog will pay tribute to the Chinese community and celebrate Chinese influence in the local culture and economy.

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Sinulog Foundation Inc. (SFI) executive director Ricky Ballesteros said although they can’t match the production numbers during the opening of the Beijing Olympics, they will try to do something similar to give the parade an authentic Chinese feel.

Aside from the performances, the stage and street décor for the grand parade will also have a touch of Chinese, including the use of huge drums and other Chinese musical instruments.

The contingents will still perform the traditional “two steps forward, one step backward” Sinulog dance, but organizers expect the music and props to feature Chinese influences.

“Even our fireworks display and the stage will have Chinese-themed design. There will also be a dragon dance during the finale. We have done our research to make sure that our tribute to the Chinese community will come out well,” Ballesteros said.

As they complete the preparations for the parade on Jan. 16, he urged the contingents to also do their research so they can come up with new and unique concepts for their story line, costumes and props.

“There are 15 out-of-town contingents joining next year, that’s why the locals are expecting tough competition. So I hope the contingents will also go out of their way to come up with something unique and new so the audience will see a bigger and better Sinulog next month,” Ballesteros added.

Among the contingents from Mindanao that confirmed to join are the provinces of Lanao del Norte, Surigao del Norte, North Cotabato and South Cotabato, and Tangub City.

From the Visayas, contingents from Tacloban City, Dumaguete City, Ormoc City, Bayawan, Bais and Siquijor will compete, as well as the Province of Masbate in Luzon.

The number of out-of-town contingents is higher this time compared to the previous Sinulog, which saw only nine contingents competing.

Organizers expect a total of 50 contingents to participate in next month’s festivities.