THE Mandaue City Sinulog contingent is now 90 percent ready for the upcoming Sinulog Festival following months of preparation and rehearsals that began as early as November, according to the city’s tourism office.
Kristian Marc Cabahug, executive director of the Mandaue Investment Promotions Tourism Action Center (Miptac), said preparations started early after Mayor Thadeo “Jonkie” Ouano gave the go signal to begin practices ahead of schedule.
“We are already 90 percent ready. We started early after the mayor gave us the approval to begin practices and preparations,” Cabahug said.
He said the planning phase began in November with the screening of dancers, development of the overall concept, and other logistical preparations. The city’s entry will remain Sinulog-based but will feature a fresh approach.
“The concept is still Sinulog-based, but it will be something different. It will be a surprise for everyone,” Cabahug said.
The contingent is being led by veteran choreographer Manoy Jojin, who Cabahug described as one of the most awarded choreographers in Sinulog competitions.
Jojin is in charge of directing the performance and crafting the concept, which Cabahug said is grounded in historical research while still offering a new twist to the traditional Sinulog presentation.
Rehearsals are held nightly from 5 p.m. until 12 a.m. or later to ensure the group is fully prepared for the festival.
Cabahug also addressed the impact of the city’s reduced Sinulog budget, which was cut from P10 million to P5 million following an earlier announcement by Mayor Ouano.
Despite the budget cut, Cabahug said the City made adjustments to maintain the quality of its presentation.
“Even with the budget reduction, we retained the quality and the whole concept. We looked for ways to ensure that our presentation would not be affected because what the mayor and the city want is to offer our best performance to the Señor Sto. Niño,” he said.
Among the cost-saving measures implemented were the reuse and recycling of props from previous performances, which were redesigned and repainted.
The City also retained most of last year’s dancers, although they were no longer hired as job order workers.
“For the dancers, we still hired performers, but not as job orders. Most of them are the same dancers from last year, so the quality will remain the same,” Cabahug said.
On the issue of lighting restrictions under Sinulog Foundation guidelines, Cabahug said the rules actually work to the city’s advantage.
He noted that Jojin is known for traditional Sinulog choreography that relies on large props rather than elaborate lighting effects.
“This is actually an advantage for us. If you remember the Sinanduloy performance handled by Manoy Jojin, it was very traditional, with no lights and big props. That is the expertise he brings to the Mandaue contingent,” Cabahug said.
Jojin previously handled Mandaue City’s Sinulog contingent in 2023 during the competition in Barangay Carmen, where the city placed third.
Cabahug added that the city maintained the same number of performers and propsmen at 100, in compliance with Sinulog Foundation guidelines, as preparations enter their final stage. (ABC)