Monday, January 21, 2008 ‘So many festivals in just a day’ By Linette C. Ramos & Jujemay G. Awit Sun.Star Staff Reporters
A NUMBER straight out of Las Vegas, a friendly kiss, celebrity sightings: these were some of the scenes that entertained a crowd of some 30,000 at the Cebu City Sports Center grandstand.
Add 15 dancing contingents in eye-popping costumes, and the grandstand crowd, as well as thousands more out in the streets or watching the telecast at home, had quite a visual treat.
Through the Sinulog, Cebuanos demonstrated their oneness, “with Sto. Niño at the forefront,” said Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama, overall chairman of the Sinulog Foundation Inc.
The grand finale production number patterned after a Las Vegas show—complete with the dancing water fountain, glittery costumes, a stage bathed in lights and the grand fireworks display—ended the 10-hour festivity.
Cebu City First Lady Margot Osmeña led the performers at the finale, which cost the Sinulog Foundation Inc. some P1.3 million to put together. The stage, with the special lights, decor and the wide screen, cost another P800,000.
All-in-one
“This is the best that we’ve seen, and I congratulate the city officials for this. We’ve seen the New Orleans mardi gras and all those shows in Vegas but ours is definitely better. The dances are so diverse, it’s like being in so many festivals in just one day,” Alfonso Pagaduan of Las Vegas said.
Pagaduan is one of the 25 Cebuanos based in Las Vegas who came home for the Sinulog. The delegation sponsored a float and had one of their companions perform ala Elvis Presley as part of the grand finale number.
“I’m amazed. I’ve never seen anything like this before. When I go home to Holland, I will be sure to tell everyone to come here to Cebu and watch the next Sinulog,” said Hank Koning of the delegation from Harlemmermeer, one of Cebu City’s sister cities.
The group arrived at noontime and stayed at the grandstand even after the grand finale and fireworks display was over, dancing and cheering.
“There are so many people here and they all look very happy, just dancing together. Look at the people, they are all smiling and having fun. For me, that is a good sign, when people are happy. And look at us, we’re also so happy to be here, dancing and having fun even after the program is over. And we’re not even drunk yet,” added Peter Janssen, the head of the delegation.
Dancing queen
But for at least two of Cebu’s most prominent women, Sinulog 2008 also meant some extra work on a Sunday.
Like Margot Osmeña, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia braved the drizzle and a slippery stage to dance a tribute to the Señor Sto. Niño. She danced with the Palawod dancers of Bantayan Island.
In a gold gown with what seemed like fish scales on the skirt, designed by Cary Santiago, Garcia danced the Sinulog for her fourth straight year. She wore a golden crown.
Some of the dancers slipped on the wet stage, their painted props of shrimps, fish and crabs wobbling a bit, but Garcia remained poised.
After the dance, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña welcomed the governor with a kiss on the cheek. The two also talked briefly at the VIP area of the grandstand, but the mayor later said the land swap issue did not come up.
Star-struck
Out in the streets, occasional eruptions of screaming and cheering meant only one thing. The celebrities were in sight.
Among those spotted were ABS-CBN talents Cesar Montano, Sam Milby, Anne Curtis, Dennis Padilla and Jake Cuenca, as well as recent “housemates” in their Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition reality show.
Rival network GMA 7 paraded the hosts of Eat Bulaga, while various companies featured their celebrity endorsers or guests: actress Angel Locsin for Jag jeans, comedienne Giselle Sanchez for M. Lhuillier
Christine Panadero, 17, could not contain her excitement, shouting Cuenca’s name and taking pictures.
At the center, the Municipality of Oslob had to wait for a few minutes before they could start their dance as organizers had to wait until the audience’s cheering for passing actors died down.
Atty. Raymond Fortun, lawyer of deposed president Joseph Estrada, blended in with a mob of photographers taking pictures of the dancers, floats and higantes.
It was Fortun’s fourth time to watch the Sinulog, but the first time he took part by taking photos, though he is not joining the photo contest.
“It’s just for my personal consumption. I plan to post them in my Multiply account,” said Fortun, a new shutterbug who described the festival as “a photographer’s paradise”.
“The amount of effort done by these people is just amazing. The creativity of the Filipinos, especially the Cebuanos, really shines when they make something so basic into something ingenious,” said Fortun.
