THE Sinulog Governing Board (SGB) may no longer be reconvened for Cebu City’s Sinulog celebration in 2021.
In a press conference on Sept. 11, 2020, Mayor Edgardo Labella said one of the reasons for SGB’s creation was to ensure that proper security measures were implemented for the visit of President Rodrigo Duterte and other high-ranking government officials last Sinulog 2020.
“Pero karon wa may plano nga muanhi ang Presidente maong dili na kinahanglan pa (But this time, the President has no plans to come so there is still no need),” said Labella.
The SGB was created in August 2019 to oversee Sinulog 2020 activities through an executive order issued by Labella.
In August 2020, Labella announced that he would like Vice Mayor Michael Rama to take charge of next year’s Sinulog activities.
However, Rama, in previous reports, said he first wanted the authority given by Labella to the SGB to be revoked.
Rama, who had been chairman of the Sinulog Foundation Inc. (SFI) for 14 years, left his post in October 2019, two months after the creation of the SGB.
Rama now considers getting back the SFI chairmanship after Labella authorized him to take charge of Sinulog 2021.
Rama said former councilor Jocelyn Pesquera who resigned from her post as chairperson of the SFI executive committee in 2019 also agreed to lead the SFI executive committee again.
The SFI is set to meet to discuss plans for next year’s Sinulog.
Sinulog plans
Labella said the celebration of Sinulog 2021 will push through if things get back to normal.
In making its final decision, SFI executive director Elmer Labella, the mayor’s younger brother, said the SFI will consider health protocols to be implemented by the Covid-19 Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF).
For his part, Rama said he has met with SFI officials and Cebu Archbishop Jose S. Palma to discuss the Sinulog 2021 celebration as well as next year’s commemoration of 500 years of Christianity in the country.
Rama said once he assumes his post again as SFI chairman, he will discuss with the board the expenditures and budget in the last Sinulog.
The SFI and the SGB have yet to consolidate their “collectibles” for the last Sinulog 2020.