Saturday, December 08, 2007 Daily Sinulog next month for city’s schools
TO offer more chances to children who want to join the Sinulog Festival but cannot, the Department of Education (DepEd) Cebu City Division declared January as Sinulog month for all the schools in the city.
This will encourage students and teachers to participate in the Sinulog dance, with its characteristic “two steps forward, one step back” movement, for five minutes after every flag ceremony starting Jan. 1.
“There are only a few children who are selected to take part in the dancing on the actual day of the festival. But we want to make every student involved.
Sinulog is a sacred event but not everyone is celebrating it, especially schools with values education,” said City Schools Division Superintendent Lorna Rances. She issued this declaration in a memo.
Dubbed as Sr. Sto. Niño sa Eskwelahan 2008, the activity, a first in the city, will also encourage teachers to honor Sto. Niño through the dance.
“This is a spiritual and physical exercise. But it is not compulsory. We must also respect and be sensitive to the faith of non-Catholics. They may observe or do regular warm-up exercises,” Rances told Sun.Star Cebu.
For the Cebu City Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Dakbayan, she also reminded teachers to assist only in practice sessions but must not choreograph any of the 10 entries selected by the City Physical Education and School Sports coordinator to participate in the dance category.
Practices, said Rances, must only be held during Saturdays and Sundays to avoid disrupting classes.
“There will be no fundraising. School heads must not handle any money related to the Sinulog,” she said.
Rances also reminded parents that participation in the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Dakbayan is voluntary. Only Grade 5 and 6, and first and third year high school students are allowed to join.
Costumes must not be expensive or must be recycled or indigenous. (NRC)
