Sinulog 2025 will be held at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) once again. For two years, the activity was held at the South Road Properties or SRP but that was only because then mayor Michael Rama wanted it there. But Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia thinks otherwise. I did think Rama’s idea was premature, too. The Sinulog will eventually be held at the SRP, I believe. But only after some other elements will be added there.
I have watched many Sinulog Grand Parades at the CCSC grandstand. I remember one time when my wife and I watched the dances with our first-born child in tow. That child is now in college. The tickets were relatively expensive and staying at the grandstand for one day was punishing. Then there was the constant fear that something untoward would happen in such a packed venue. Plus the comfort rooms at that time were at the lower levels and dirty. Getting there and using them was a sacrifice. But the grand parade, although it was mainly cultural, was supposedly in honor of the Child Jesus, too.
I did not watch the Sinulog at the SRP. Actually, we stopped watching the Sinulog when we got older and traffic became unbearable for us before and after the grand parade. By that time, we had transferred our residence to the suburb and we felt that watching the coverage of the activity on television was enough.
Holding the Sinulog Grand Parade at the SRP actually has some advantages. But the place needs further development in terms of comfort for the audience. The SRP does have vacant spaces but that can also be the venue’s undoing. Vacant spaces are at the mercy of the weather. When the rains come, the grounds get soaked. And because of the lack of structures and tree cover, the heat can be merciless. And transportation is a problem there because public utility vehicles do not ply the place yet. The Cebu South Coastal Road is the only viable route and when you are at the SRP, walking is the best option.
Or you can stay at the air-conditioned malls there, which means that you have to forget about the Sinulog for the whole day and instead enjoy what the malls’ establishments offer. When the Sinulog was held at the SRP, social media posts were more about the moneyed dining in the malls and not about the contingents enduring the hot sun outside.
I understand that the Cebu City Government and some investors still need to build a venue akin to the sports center at the SRP. The road network at the SRP also needs improvement for better entry and exit. And more structures and more establishments still have to sprout there. While the SRP is good for the city’s economy, its growth cannot be fast-tracked. That can’t be done at the flick of a finger.
I was among those who applauded the decision to build a better structure for the Cebu City Medical Center after an earthquake hit the region. But look at where that project is now. This proves that things like the venue for the Sinulog can’t be decided upon and done haphazardly.