The traditional Sinulog

AT today’s spectacular Sinulog Grand Parade, one will surely see many versions of the dance ritual. For the Diola clan, the Sinulog has been the same for generations in the family. For the ritual, the clan uses a homemade drum—made generations ago with goat skin: one side, male, the other side, female; otherwise, the drum would not have the desired sound. The clan also uses a Sto. Niño statue (with a base that’s hollow) that the family has had for several generations. The statue is kept in its place of honor during the Sinulog and is never used to dance with.

Carol Diola, the present “keeper” of the clan’s Sinulog, says she was chosen by the late Estelita Diola, to be the latter’s successor as the former has done the Sinulog since she was five. So, she is now in charge of the drum, though for the life of her, she does not know how to make a beat out of the drum. This group dances the Sinulog starting with the fluvial parade of the Sto. Niño festivities. On Sunday, the feast of the Sto. Niño, the group dances at the Basilica grounds. The Monday after, it has been the tradition for the Aboitiz family to have the group do the Sinulog in Casa Gorordo. During Sinulog week, and often beyond, they get invited by different families, like the Pito and Delia Villacastin family, to dance in their homes.

The ritual consists of the “llamado,” which is the drum call for the participants to fall into formation, and this year the drummer is Carol’s son Rommel. This is followed by the “repaso,” which is the mock fight between the Christian knights and the natives. The fight ends and one of the Sinulog dancers approaches the Sto. Niño statue and recites the “Alabasyon,” which Wikipedia defines as taken after the Spanish term for prayers. This can be followed with petitions, in Estelita Diola’s time done in Spanish, for the intentions of the family who invited the group.

There are 30 mostly teens in the Diola Sinulog troupe. They start practicing by mid-December though most of them already know the ritual as they have done it for years. During performances, they are sometimes joined by spectators who know the basic steps. The dancers are in costumes and Carol is grateful to Val Sandiego and his mom Luz for their yearly donations of costumes which the Sandiegos have done for many years. This year, she welcomes an extra set of costumes from Baby Diola Gallofin and her son Junjun, which makes it easier for the troupe to have fresh costumes once the first set needs washing.

Going back to the Alabasyon, which for Carol is the highlight of the Sinulog, Carol says it is beautiful and demonstrates:

Matam-is nga Bathala / Bathala nga pinalangga / Maanindot, maambongan nga Bata / Mahal, bililhon sa hunahuna / Bililhon labi sa mutya / Among dungog ug himaya / Kalipay ning among yuta / Kalipay nga di mapala / Ang Imong mahal nga larawan / Among ginahalaran / Ug maoy mahimong tuburan / Sa among kapalaran / Kadaut ug katalagman / Iiway ning kapupud-an / Ikaw ang gilauman/ Sa among gikinahanglan / Busa walay sukod sa paglaum / Kining imong ulipon / Nga gihapon imong pagabawion.

(Roughly translated: Sweet God, God most dear. Beautiful and wise child, dear to the thought, more precious than gold, is your fame and glory. Happiness of this world, Happiness that does not disappear, is your precious Image which we adore, the fount of our good fate. Evil and ill fortune, keep away from our island. You are our hope for all that we need, so boundless is this slave’s hope in You, that you will take back ill fortune as usual).

It is truly a beautiful prayer: may it never be forgotten, and may the original Sinulog never lose its meaning in the hearts of Cebuanos and Sto. Niño devotees.