AFTER years of participating as a guest contingent in Sinulog Festival, the Lapu-Lapu City contingent made a remarkable debut by securing third place in the Free Interpretation category.
Lapu-Lapu City outperformed other contingents on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, with a performance centered on the theme “Kulit sa Mactan (The Carving of Mactan).”
Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan, in a text message to SunStar Cebu on Monday, Jan. 20, expressed gratitude to the Santo Niño for their victory.
“First of all, we offer our deep gratitude to the Child Jesus, Señor Santo Niño, for the grace of victory. He helped us in our efforts to present a beautiful dance offering of thanks. We are truly grateful for this achievement. All the hard work has paid off,” Chan said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
“We are looking forward to giving another outstanding performance in next year’s Sinulog,” he added.
Chan also praised the performers and staff for their hard work and dedication in overcoming challenges during rehearsals, which often extended past midnight and sometimes happened during difficult weather conditions.
Lapu-Lapu City also secured fourth place in the Best in Musicality category at the grand parade.
Worth the expense
Garry Lao, officer-in-charge of the City Tourism Office, said that although they exceeded the initial P4 million budget by spending a total of P5 million, he believed it was worth the expense.
Lao cited that the additional costs were due to last-minute preparations for large props and costumes for Lapu-Lapu City’s Festival Queen.
Last Jan. 17, Sofi Maxim Grenmo, representing Lapu-Lapu City, was crowned the 2025 Sinulog Festival Queen.
Lao said this is the first time in history that the city has won the Festival Queen title.
When asked about future plans for Lapu-Lapu City, Lao mentioned that there are plans to participate in other festivals to showcase the pride of Mactan Island.
“That’s part of growth. You cannot compete among yourselves. You have to go out and join others to truly show that we are capable…We need to go out of our comfort zone to compete and tell the world that here in Lapu-Lapu we can do it,” Lao said.
Lapu-Lapu City previously earned third place at the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo 2024 and secured fourth runner-up at the 50th Kasanggayahan Festival in Sorsogon Province. / DPC