THERE must have been a whole lot of mediation in crafting the nature of the relationship between the newbie Cebu City Sinulog Governing Board (SGB) and the veteran Sinulog Foundation Inc. (SFI), the sole “governing board” of the Sinulog festival for 35 years.
Vice Mayor Michael Rama had since stepped down as SFI chair while the emergent SGB virtually grabbed the limelight as far as being the go-to body in matters of the Sinulog 2020 is concerned. It appears that calling the shots now is the SGB, with executive director Barney Borja, project director Val Sandiego and member Kenneth Cobonpue. The elected official is out; we now have a bunch of appointees at the helm.
“All the coordination, it goes through the (Sinulog) Governing Board. That’s why there’s (Sinulog) Governing Board,” said Cobonpue. How final can that statement get? The SFI is in charge of raising funds for the festival, he said.
Borja said the SGB is in charge of “production, presentation, traffic, among others, while the SFI is in charge of coordinating with the contingents.”
Surprisingly, though, the “governing board” also appears to be creating a whole set of activities, namely, the Sinulog sa Palaboy, a vlogging contest and the Sinulog Market Street Fair, as “addition” to the SFI’s roster of traditional activities. Here lies a bit of confusion because for years it has always been the SFI that conceived of the festival’s activities. So does the governing board also act as a “creative pool” for the festival?
In a statement, the SGB said it serves “as a regulatory board that will oversee SFI and its executive committee and has the right to review and approve all resolutions and actions of the SFI’s executive committee.”
That pretty much establishes the mindset of the SGB; it regulates what the SFI and other agencies recommend. “The board promises a well-coordinated installment of the festival as it carries vital agencies under its wings, including the SFI.”
Borja said the tasks are divided into clusters and designated among the SGB, SFI and the marketing arm.
It must be noted as well that Mayor Edgardo Labella’s executive order said the SGB was created to “complement the functions” of the SFI, focusing on “coordinating with the concerned agencies and entities to ensure the smooth implementation of the core activities.”
The SGB said it is closely coordinating with the Philippine National Police, Department of Education, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, Cebu City Transportation Office, Land Transportation Office, Department of Health, Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño.
The SGB may not act as a bunch of eager beavers suddenly thrusting its version of the Sinulog into the table. There is the perennial SFI to consult as a matter of basic courtesy.