Espinoza: Not destructive

Thursday, January 12, 2012

THE Sinulog is all set this Sunday. All that we would hope for is that it would be peaceful and orderly. Cebu City Police Chief Melvin Buenafe’s assurance that thousands of cops will be fielded during the grand parade does not totally dispel fears that untoward incidents may happen.

The Sinulog has always been peaceful, though. It may not have been as orderly as envisioned by the organizers but unusual incidents were isolated and did not disrupt the revelry.

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The veneration by the Cebuanos and visitors of the city’s patron could be one of the reasons why the fiesta and the Sinulog Grand Parade ended up as wholesome and peaceful celebrations.

The worst thing that can happen during the grand parade, though, is when it rains. I know everyone is praying for fair weather on Sunday. By this time, I hope that the revelers already know how to keep their trash.

The city’s cleaners will have a big day on Monday cleaning the streets of the rubbish that people dropped or left anywhere the day before. Revelers should help lighten the city cleaners’ burden. Pit Senyor!
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I have not heard a parent or a student complain that the Sinulog sa Kabataan affected or disrupted studies. Vice Mayor Joy Young’s apprehension is therefore only a figment of his imagination.

We can’t blame Young, though, for calling for the abolition of the Sinulog sa Kabataan because he may have only followed the instruction of his boss, Rep. Tomas Osmeña, to do it to demean, if not embarrass, Mayor Michael Rama.

As we know, anything that the mayor does, Congressman Tomas or his minions, like the vice mayor, will always criticize or disparage. Tomas and his minions must not have realized that what they are doing to Rama has negative results.

Think about this. Mayor Rama did not lash back at Young for making the call, but school officials came to his rescue and defended the participation of students in the Sinulog sa Kabataan as a process of learning values, such as discipline and teamwork.

Mayor Rama merely shrugged off Young’s claim and said he does not want to glamorize the issue. He said he wants to focus on this weekend and even on the days after the Sinulog.

Department of Education (DepEd) 7 Director Recaredo Borgonia dismissed the claim of the vice mayor that joining the annual contest affects children’s studies. Not all students are involved in the contest, he said.

It’s a shame that an elected official like Young would be rebuked by an official of DepEd 7, which is primarily responsible for the welfare of the students.

While Young made it appear that he was concerned with the interest of the young students, he couldn’t fool the people who knew he was only playing the politics that Cebuanos are already tired of listening or watching.

Some city councilors do not even go with the view of the vice mayor. They are for the Sinulog sa Kabataan subject to some regulations. The Sinulog, as Councilor Alvin Dizon puts it, is educational as it teaches the students the value of preserving our culture and heritage.

(elespinoza53@yahoo.com)