Tuesday, January 23, 2007 Editorial: Dealing with fiesta’s growth
THERE’S no doubt that in the past few years the feast of the Sto. Niño has reached another level in terms of quantity and quality.
Credit should go to the three engines of the growth spurt: the church, local government and business.
The fiesta used to attract mainly pilgrims with activities centered at the Basilica del Sto. Niño until a group led by David Odilao introduced the Sinulog, which has become a cultural attraction and added tourists and balikbayans to the mix of visitors.
It wasn’t long until business establishments cashed in and offered a variety of fares that have become crowd drawers in the days leading to the Holy Child’s feast day.
Thus, Cebu City’s version of the fiesta no longer has for its major attractions just the Sinulog grand parade or the masses at the Basilica but also showcases crowd-drawers like the fluvial parade, procession, presentations in Fuente Osmeña and Plaza Independencia, entertainment activities in the malls and nightspots, etc.
Improvement
Together with variety is the improvement in quality, not only of the activities but in the manner these are being organized, which is most notable in the fiesta’s cultural centerpiece, the Sinulog grand parade.
This does not mean, however, that there is no longer any room for improvement.
In fact, included in the annual ritual of holding the various fiesta fares is the usual critique from the public and the media and formal/ informal assessments of the organizers of the major activities aimed at improving the celebration for the following year.
The problem with these critiques and assessments, however, is that these are made immediately after the celebration and may thus end up forgotten or not considered in the next fiesta’s planning, which are done months after the previous one.
Foresight
One aspect that is cyclical is crowd control that, while seemingly satisfactory the past years, may become inadequate with the increase in the number of fiesta goers.
New ways must be devised, for example, to maintain order at the Sinulog grand parade routes and in the procession and masses at the Basilica, considering that the crowd attracted by these activities have grown through the years.
A better fiesta can be had if there is recognition of the level reached by the celebration and problems posed by such growth are being anticipated.
