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Friday, January 16, 2004
Wenceslao: Sinulog woes, as usual
By Bong Wenceslao
I think the Sinulog 2004 executive committee started off on the wrong foot when it disallowed the practice of accepting guest contingents for Sunday’s Sinulog grand parade. As a result, its hands were tied when the case of the popular Sandiego dancers cropped up. It became a damned if you do and damned if you don’t situation.
The ban on guest contingents was supposedly hinged on lofty motives: to put order into the parade. Guest contingents, according to a committee member, are not as disciplined as the competitors, who worry constantly about how the judges will grade them. With the entries purged of the “uncontrollable,” order will supposedly be achieved.
But the new policy is apparently ill advised. One, not all guest contingents caused anarchy on the parade route; others were more disciplined than some of the competitors. Two, not all guest contingents are dispensable; some have good following among Cebuanos. Three, not all parade woes can be blamed on the guest contingents.
I mean, how could the Sinulog organizers have lumped the Sandiego dancers and even the Landonians (although they need to be reminded from time to time to behave) with the other guest contingents? These groups have contributed more to making the Sinulog grand parade what it is than many of the Sinulog committee members.
Or are committee members using the policy to deflect blame from their failure (again) last year to make the activity orderly? Were guest contingents used as scapegoat? Actually, the orderliness of the parade depends upon the competence of the organizers. That they went to the extent of banning guest contingents show bankruptcy of ideas.
Which brings me to the proposal that I have been harping on for the past few years: that Sinulog organizers invest on moveable railings to control the crowd at the parade route. Or will the organizers still not admit that using volunteers like students and barangay tanods to fence the parade route has failed miserably year in and year out?
A day before last Sunday’s Sugbayanihan, I saw the barbecue grills set up by the sponsors from the vicinity of Fuente Osmeña down to the corner of Osmeña Blvd. and Sanciangko St. While those grills were not railings, still these were effective in barring people from crossing from one side of the street to the other (thus the complaints).
Until organizers start relying on more sturdy stuffs like iron moveable railings instead of those unreliable human bodies, the crowd control woes we have been experiencing since the Sinulog was launched will remain. And organizers will always end up making ill-advised policies like banning guest contingents from the activity.
P.S. Like many other residents in Cebu City, a Text Reax contributor complained about the roads. “Could you please write something, “said the text message, “about the road condition here? I once heard Mayor Tomas Osmeña talk about excess asphalt and the plan to launch an ‘asphalt storm.’ But our roads still have many craters.”
Here’s a joke being spread around: “GMA—economic mind; Roco—academic mind; Eddie—Godly mind; Loren—changeable mind; Noli—no mind; Ping—mastermind; FPJ—never mind.”
Finally, from Cristian Malaki: “Idolatry, child prostitution, greedy businessmen, corrupt trapos, Internet pornography. What’s next? Devil worship? I think we are really asking for it. Read the bible and know how God dealt with rebellious people and their kings.”
(e-mail: khanwens@yahoo.com; text: 0927-4912362)
(January 16, 2004 issue)
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