BEFORE all the loud music, vibrant colors, and festive atmosphere, early Sinulog celebrations featured rituals rooted in precolonial babaylan prayers and war dances from Sulu martial arts traditions.
Historical accounts indicate native devotees originally revered the Santo Niño as a rain deity and performed ritual dances without carrying the image during processions.
The devotion traces back to Queen Juana, wife of Rajah Humabon, the native ruler of Cebu. Upon being baptized during the Spanish expedition in 1521, accounts said the holy image was gifted to her by Ferdinand Magellan. She then revered it as a rain deity.
As described by Antonio Pigafetta, a Venetian chronicler who joined Magellan’s expedition, the ritual area for deities was adorned with green branches, palm leaf garments, and offerings that included red blossoms, fish, a slaughtered pig, and millet cakes placed above woven mats.
In this precolonial period, the practice that evolved into the Sinulog was an indigenous animist ritual dance performed to honor native anitos (idols or spirits).
It was an expression of gratitude or a prayer, not a festival celebrating the Santo Niño, which the Spaniards introduced later.
Types of ‘Sinulog’
The Candle Vendor Sinulog is deeply connected to the precolonial rituals of the babaylans in Cebu, while the War Dance Sinulog is inspired by the martial arts and war dances of Sulu.
Early Cebuano traditions involved ritual dances performed without carrying the image. Instead, they honored the Child Jesus at altars or on carriages during processions.
University of San Carlos (USC) History professor Laila Labajo notes that in the 1940s, there were two distinct types of Sinulog: Sinulog Eskrima and Sinulog Tinderas.
She explains that Sinulog Eskrima is performed by the Diola family of Mabolo, Cebu City, which has carried on the tradition for generations. Following the Sinulog fiesta, the family reenacts the historical encounter between Muslims and Christians, highlighting the victory of the Christians.
In contrast, Sinulog Tinderas involves candle vendors at the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño in Cebu. The vendors perform the original devotional Sinulog dance while praying and selling candles—a practice that predates the larger festival and serves as a profound expression of faith.
Often elderly, these women offer prayers for various intentions, such as health, family, or success. As they sway to the rhythm of the drums, they embody the traditional roots of the Sinulog dance before its modern commercialization.
National Artist and historian Resil Mojares noted the image of Santo Niño was originally intended to remain on altars rather than carried by dancers.
It was the choreographers in modern times who decided to have the dancers carry the Santo Niño image during performances, Mojares said.
Past and present
Labajo said celebrations from the 1900s to the 1940s were considerably simpler, largely due to Cebu’s socio-economic challenges that included the impacts of the revolution, the Philippine-American War, famine, and widespread poverty.
She explained that there were no grand parades or street dancing competitions, the modern festival, primarily a government initiative aimed at boosting tourism.
“The Sinulog is one of the biggest festivals in the Philippines, but it is now focused more on economics and tourism. But what’s unique is featuring the Christian faith in the Philippines,” she said.
According to Mojares, the early devotion to the Santo Niño goes back to 1565 in Cebu, making it the oldest devotion to the Holy Child in the world.
The essence of Sinulog is sacrifice and devotion. No matter the period, the faith of Cebuanos remains. / Bryce Ken Abellon, Correspondent