THE staging of the Sinulog Festival 2023 at the South Road Properties (SRP) will push through now that Cebu City Mayor Michael “Mike” Rama has a new mandate after winning the mayoral race in the May 9, 2022 elections.
During a press conference Wednesday, May 11, Rama said discussions were already on the way to prepare for the festival that happens every third Sunday of January.
Rama added that he is also hoping that the ongoing projects at the SRP would add vibrance if the Sinulog is moved there next year.
Street dancing during the Sinulog Grand Parade is traditionally held in the city’s uptown area.
The parade ends with a ritual showdown at the Cebu City Sports Center.
Rama said accessibility to the SRP will be solved since he had already talked with the Department of Public Works and Highways about constructing additional access roads from the city’s main highway to the SRP.
The mayor previously said that the idea of having the Sinulog at the SRP came to him after he witnessed the massive crowd that gathered during the recent grand rally of presidential frontrunner Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and vice presidential frontrunner Sara Duterte-Carpio.
Good place
In a separate interview Thursday, May 12, Sinulog Foundation Inc. (SFI) executive director Jojo Labella said SRP is a good place to hold the annual festival as a way to avoid traffic congestion within the city’s business center.
Labella added that Rama, who is also the SFI chairman, has the prerogative in deciding the venue for the festival.
This is also advantageous since Rama can mobilize government resources during the conduct of the Sinulog Festival, Labella added.
According to Labella, he believes that the mayor has the vision to make Sinulog bigger and make a grand celebration after being halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic.