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Thursday, January 19, 2006
Cabaero: Spreading the reach of Sinulog
By Nini B.Cabaero
Beyond 30
There are two measurements to the spreading influence of Cebu's Sinulog celebration.
One is in the number of out-of-town participants who send in contingents to Cebu to join the Sinulog grand parade. Another is in the holding of similar Sinulog celebrations in places outside of Cebu---in New Jersey in the US, in Canada, in New Zealand, and, a bit closer, in Southern Leyte.
Cebuanos should take pride in the spread of the reach of the Sinulog. It warms the heart that many people come to Cebu for it and many more who couldn't be here hold their own celebrations in similar manner. Attached to taking that honor for spreading the reach of the Sinulog, however, is a growing responsibility to ensuring that the Sinulog or Sto. Nino name is not blemished by a tragedy during a celebration.
This year's Sinulog celebration saw out-of-town contingents winning over local groups for the top awards. First place winners in the free-interpretation dancing category and in the Sinulog-based dancing category were contingents from outside of Cebu.
At about the same time people were dancing in Cebu, children were shouting for help in the waters of Southern Leyte. Among those who died in the sea accident were children as young as two-years-old attending a fluvial procession in the baby Jesus' honor.
Cebu can work at sending out more invitations to outsiders for next year's Sinulog and exerting effort at letting their stay here the next time around comfortable and enjoyable. As Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said, out-of-town contingents contribute to the success of the Sinulog. This was why he vowed to take better care of them next year.
It is sad that while Cebu is congratulating itself for Sunday's successful Sinulog, families of those who died in Southern Leyte are mourning the loss of young lives.
There must be lessons Cebu officials could share with others hoping to copy the Sinulog celebration in their own locales.
Twenty-six years of hits and misses in the holding of the Sinulog must have produced a set of guidelines that others copying the Cebu celebration could adopt.
Cebu had no way of stopping the overloading of the banca in Southern Leyte but it has strict guidelines, culled from experience, governing the holding of fluvial processions. Examples of these are the strictly no-overloading policy and the required coordination with the Coast Guard.
These are lessons of Cebu from past Sinulog celebrations, and these are lessons Cebu could share with others to spare them tragedy.
(ninicab@sunstar.com.ph)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (January 19, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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