Wednesday, January 14, 2009 Organizers offer eggs to Carmelites to pray for good weather on Sunday
UNLESS there is a typhoon, the Sinulog grand parade this Sunday will push through, “rain or shine.”
The Sinulog Foundation Inc. (SFI), though, is hoping for the sun to shine, and has offered eggs to the Carmelite nuns in Mabolo, Cebu City, as tradition dictates, to help pray for good weather.
But if it does rain this Sunday, the foundation has prepared for it, said SFI project director Dolly Suzara.
She said they have offered eggs at the Carmelite Monastery each day since last week to ask for intercession for a fair weather during the grand parade.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services has predicted rain for the coming days because of a cold front and the northeast monsoon (Amihan).
Rain is a concern for the foundation since the stage at the Cebu City Sports Center grandstand gets slippery when wet.
Several dancers during the grand parade January last year slipped during their presentations because of this problem.
Contingents
That forced Sinulog executive director Ricky Ballesteros to have succeeding dancers perform at the CCSC rubberized track instead.
Ballesteros said that unless it will be a typhoon besetting Cebu, the grand parade will continue. They will just have the participating contingents dance at the rubberized track.
The foundation has also prepared extra mops to keep the stage dry as much as possible, as the contest must go on.
Suzara had recalled that before last year, the last time it rained hard during the Sinulog was in the 1980s.
Suzara said that aside from the weather, they also petitioned for the dancers to be given good health, adding that if it will rain, they will still consider it a blessing.
Also, Ballesteros reminded participating contingents that the last chance for them to register is only until 5 p.m. today.
Choreographers and representatives of participants in the other categories, like the float, higante, and puppeteers, must attend this Friday’s final briefing.
The briefing, he said, is important to refresh the participants on the guidelines that they must observe. (RHM)
