Friday, January 19, 2007 List of Sinulog activities By Roger Serna Sounds and images
AFTER the excitement and euphoria with the hosting of the 12th Asean Summit last weekend comes the first big event of the year, as far as Cebu is concerned: the Pista Senyor.
That’s not a typographical error. The Sinulog is just one of the highlights of the celebration of the Pista Senyor. Other activities (like the Miss Cebu pageant, the Sinulog Pop Fiesta, etc.) have already been laid out and enjoyed by both residents and guests of the island province.
The remaining ones are the following: Rhythmic Sinulog at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel tonight at 9 featuring Nyoy Volante and Sitti; the Cebu Popular Music Festival at the Cebu Coliseum tonight at 7; the Pahugyaw sa Sayaw at the South Surface Parking Area of the Ayala Center Cebu tonight at 8; The Sonic Boom Cebu launch tonight at 8 at the Paseo Mall Panagdait featuring both Manila- and Cebu-based bands; the Kapuso Sinulog Celebration at the SM V-Hire terminal today from 2-8 p.m. featuring Keempee de Leon, Francine Prieto and Alyssa Alano with Sandwich; the appearances of Angel Locsin and Jennylyn Mercado at the Gaisano Country Mall tomorrow at 5-7 p.m. and at 12 noon (Gaisano Main) and 7 p.m. (mall), respectively; The Sinulog TeleTech Night at the Ayala Center Cebu South Surface parking area tomorrow at 8:30-11 p.m. with Urbandub, Stagecrew and Fastpitch; the Pinoy Dream Academy Mall Tour at SM City Cebu V-Hire terminal tomorrow at 4 p.m.; the Symphony of Fire at the Ayala Driving Range on Sun. at 9 p.m.; and the Sinulog Festival Boxing at the Mall at Gaisano Country Mall on Sun. at 7 p.m., among others.
Exhibits of Sto. Niño icons are at the Ayala Center Exhibit area and at the museum of the Basilica del Sto. Niño. There’s also the fluvial parade early tomorrow morning followed by the reenactment of the baptism of Rajah Humabon and Queen Juana. The solemn procession around Cebu City’s thoroughfares which Sto. Niño devotees anticipate with fervor will be at 2 p.m. tomorrow.
The Sinulog grand parade is on Sun., Jan. 21, starting at 9 a.m. Doesn’t the partial (!) list make your head spin just to devise a way to be counted in most, if not all, of these activities? Join (whenever possible) and be enriched, both physically and spiritually.
Viva! Pit Senyor!
***
For several years, yours truly refuses to use the phrase ‘grand mardi gras’ to describe the Sinulog grand parade for the simple reason that the latter, leaning more on the cultural side, is based on the sinulog (or sinug) which is a prayer-dance to the Sto. Niño and, as such, is not a merrymaking activity, which the mardi gras is.
The holding of the Sto. Niño icon with bare hands and swaying it up and down and left and right while dancing is not an act of disrespect and irreverence, after all. Some knowledgeable friends and colleagues informed yours truly that the act is based on Queen Juana’s reaction and jubilation upon receiving the original icon from the Spaniards as a gift right after her baptism.
So far, it is only in the Sinulog where lead dancers are allowed to hold an icon because of the abovementioned historical significance. Choreographers of the various festivals of the province and other places should take note of this.
***
The recent Metro Manila Film Festival is no different from the previous outings in recent years in terms of controversies that hound it. In fact, it is even described as worse compared to past ones.
The latest brouhaha was brought about by the inclusion of the box-office returns in the determination of the film that will be awarded as the festival’s best picture. Judging from the organizers’ statements in answer to the questions and complaints from the participating movie companies, it’s easy to tell why controversies seem to be part and parcel of the filmfest.
The reason is that the organizers refuse to admit their fault, hopefully learn from them, and come up with a better one the next time around. Will the plan to oust the incumbent chairman (and revamp the entire organization, perhaps?) push through and mark the start of a better filmfest at the end of the year?
Wait and see.
*** Three days after the Sinulog, the excitement will shift to the countryside with this year’s holding of the Suroy-Suroy Sugbo Southern Heritage Trail, a tourism project of Gov. Gwen Garcia.
Inspired perhaps by the success of last year’s edition, which only had some towns of the first and second districts (with one from the third) participating, this time, according to the tour secretariat, every southern town has expressed its willingness to be part of the activity which brings mostly balikbayans who are in town for the Pista Senyor and the Sinulog festivities to these scenic places.
The festival jingles and drumbeats and those of other instruments continue to reverberate as the towns put their best feet forward in showcasing their respective festivals which feature their own distinctive cultures and traditions.Let the good times roll!
