THIS is my annual Sinulog rant. It will continue on an annual basis until some civic and/or religious group picks up its gist and moves it from dream to reality.
Yearly the Sinulog gets all sorts of improvements in the areas of security, traffic, street parties, church rituals, etc. but hardly any in the area of meaning and relevance. For the last 19 years that I have ranted, government and church organizers have added next to nothing that enhanced the Feast’s spiritual and Christian significance.
The civic and clearly secular part (floats, dances, beauty and song contests, etc.) is being consistently made more spectacular to attract tourists and titillate the senses of the locals. The religious but unfortunately not necessarily spiritual part is still about begging and thanking Sto. Niño for special favors.
Both groups do one thing in common. In their search for improvements, they seem to only ask themselves what will please the crowd of devotees and spectators. They don’t seem to bother to ask what might please the Holy Child more or what would be a more fitting way to honor him.
I have said this before and I am saying it again (annual rant, remember?) that the Sinulog would be much more pleasing to the Holy Child, and therefore acquire true Christian meaning, if it was used as an occasion to raise funds for the rescue and rehabilitation of marginalized children, especially those that are being trafficked and commercially sexually exploited.
Cebu has plenty of these children some of whom are being attended to by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that are funded by foreign charitable institutions. This is a real shame because during the Sinulog, businesses make a lot of money. Why can we not get some of it to go to a foundation that funds rescue and rehabilitation projects for these children? Why leave these children to simply gather and sell the recyclable waste we leave behind?
More than any other single entity, the Church makes a lot of money from the Feast. We are talking millions of pesos from the sale of candles and religious articles, from sacramental fees, and from collections at the Novena Masses. Yet, so far the Church has not been transparent about where the money is going. Why can we not earmark at least a portion of it to help disadvantaged children whom we can presume the Holy Child loves and would, therefore, appreciate being helped?
Others might have better ideas but this is my suggestion as to how to make the Feast of the Little Child Jesus (Sto. Niño) meaningful to at least the disadvantaged children of Cebu. In this way the Sinulog could be a ray of hope for children who otherwise are neglected by both civil and religious (Christian?) local societies.