SINULOG stakeholders agreed that Sinulog Festival 2025 was successful despite the overwhelming number of revelers who joined the festivity.
Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera, in a privilege speech on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, commended all stakeholders for a successful celebration of the 45th Sinulog Festival.
Garganera, head of the Sinulog Festival’s security cluster, reported that despite the numerous simultaneous events across the city, there were no fatalities or casualties.
However, he noted that while there were minor incidents, they should not be seen as failures.
Garganera reported that the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Mitigation Office (CCDRRMO) attended to approximately 235 individuals during the grand parade.
“Accordingly, the true and actual measure of success is the safety and security of the public. For instance, our CCDRRMO initially reported that we have immediately attended around 235 patients for the entire grand parade mostly because of dizziness, dehydration and difficulty in breathing,” he said.
Morevoer, Garganera commended as well the few contingents that pulled out from the street dancing competition to ensure the safety of their participants due to the alleged lack of crowd control measures.
“I find the decision of the contingent leadership highly commendable. Large scale events, such as the Sinulog grand parade, requires the participation and cooperation of various sectors. It requires multi-faceted approach to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all,” he said.
Withdrawals
During the Sinulog grand parade last Sunday, Jan. 19, contingents from Barangays Guadalupe, Kalunasan and Basak Pardo withdrew from the street dancing, announcing they would not continue the grand parade.
In a Facebook post, K. Thompson Cabajar, a member of the Banauan Cultural Group, announced Barangay Guadalupe’s withdrawal, stating that the Sinulog-based contingent had been “stamped for three hours.”
Cabajar said there had been “no crowd control from the organizers or Cebu City Government.”
In another Facebook post, Barangay Kalunasan announced the same on its official Facebook page.
Barangay Kalunasan in the post hoped for a “better crowd management” for future events to guarantee a safer and more secure environment for all participants.
Basak Pardo Barangay Captain Dave Tumulak also announced on his Facebook page on Sunday that as organizer of Barrio Basak Pardo, he decided not to allow their contingent to continue the street dancing past 6 p.m. to prioritize the safety and well-being of the performers who were composed of minors.
In response to the contingents’ withdrawal from the street dancing competition, Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia said that while he was unaware of the reasons behind their decision, it was the prerogative of the contingent leaders to prioritize the safety of their dancers.
Garcia said contingents had the option to withdraw from the parade and noted that it could serve as an opportunity for improvement in future Sinulog celebrations.
Persistent issue
He also acknowledged that crowd control has been a persistent issue in previous years.
“Wala man tingali mayng laki nga mayor nga naka-control og crowd in the Sinulog sa history. The problem is always the crowd control. Dili ko katawag sad tingali ana nga that is a lapse in our part,” said Garcia.
(There may not have been any mayor in history who has fully controlled the crowd during the Sinulog. The problem has always been crowd control. I wouldn’t necessarily call that a lapse on our part.)
But Garganera, in an earlier interview, said it would be “totally unfair” to say that there was no crowd control.
“Totally unfair sad nga muingon nga there was no crowd control to speak to begin with, that’s very unfair sad. Our police are there early in the morning, ang atong volunteers, ang tanods ang responders, but that is something that we have to address because their complaints are legitimate,” said the councilor.
However, Garganera said he still commended the contingents who decided not to finish the parade for choosing safety over anything.
Garganera said that this year’s festival utilized modern technology, such as drones, which provided an aerial view to help assess and address situations from a distance.
“Indeed, there are still areas where we can further improve. But if I were to speak, I could not ask for anything more that no one was seriously harmed in our events,” he said. / JPS