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Tuesday, January 21, 2003
Roperos: The Sinulog boom
By Godofredo M. Roperos
FOR the first time since it begun many years ago, the Sinulog feast that was just celebrated appeared to be the most attended. And perhaps, also one of the most well managed and organized. Although the irritating bumper-to-bumper traffic all over the city can not be avoided, there were no ruffled feelings among the visitors, even if many of them were forced to walk several blocks last Sunday to the city sports center. They expected it and they risked it. In the end, the foreign visitors and balikbayans even enjoyed the walk.
Some of those who came from Los Angeles told me they enjoyed their visit immensely, especially since the misgivings they had earlier entertained before deciding to make the visit, did not come to pass. The misgivings were attributed to the bad publicity that the Philippines’ peace and order condition have gotten during the whole year of 2002. And the same could not really be discounted, inspite the protestations of the government over the warning bulletins issued by the U.S. State Department.
That nothing truly untoward happened during the week-long Sinulog festivities should be attributed to careful planning by its organizers and what I would surmise as a very neatly done cooperation between them and the police. The few “pickpocketing” incidents, while unfortunate, especially since some of the victims were foreign and domestic visitors, are to be expected and cannot really be avoided. But happily, the reported efforts of certain elements to disrupt the festival, perhaps to discredit it, did not happen.
Many of those who joined the religious procession last Saturday and the long mardi gras parade to the Cebu City Sports Center, believed that the crowd on both occasions easily run up to more than a million. In fact, this time around, planners of the religious phase of the festival no longer have any reason to complain about the attendance. They truly got a fair share of enthusiastic humanity at the Pilgrim Center and during the long procession. Attribute it to the prevailing hard ties, or to the fame of the Santo Nino.
But, there were really more people who went to the Basilica to worship the Christ Child than ever before. Even last Friday, during the second morning mass, the center was already swelling with people. The number continued to increase until the last mass in the evening. And this was more than replicated the following day. Kin and friends came from Manila and other provinces. They purposely came bringing along their small children in order to present them to the miraculous Santo Nino for His blessings.
In any case, the festival planners should begin looking back at their handiwork to know what they did right to get such wonderful response. Was it, perhaps, just pure luck that many people just happened to decide to attend this year’s Sinulog festival? Or was there something they did, a special public relations mix perhaps, that generated the magnificent public reaction to their invitation. That really is something that Mayor Tom Osmena and Vice Mayor Mike Rama should carefully try to sort out.
Besides, there are other “sideshows” to the festival that have also added their “pulling” power on the visitors. There was the Miss Cebu competition, which may have contributed a little bit of attraction to tourists. Or the Cebu Popular Music Festival that has also become an indispensable “component” of the festival to the extent that when one talks of the Sinulog, one is also reminded of the season of the Pop Music competition. Last Friday, only one composer won the 1st and the 2nd prizes. But the composer, a parish priest, truly deserved the prize.
The “sidebars” to the festival, such as the showbiz guests, the various allied attractions put up by the city’s business sector, and the apparent peaceful condition of the city, added essential substance to the celebration. These, too, should have a share of the accolade. The bands that played in the open spaces in strategic areas of the city added pomp and color, giving the whole affair an authentic festive atmosphere to the satisfaction of the visitors. I know because my balikbayan friends were glowing about their experience.
Now, the challenge of the Sinulog planners is the 2004 celebration. Will they be able to top this year’s success? They need not answer yet.
(January 21, 2003 issue)
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