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January
22, 2002
No unruly acts during parade
THE
Sinulog grand parade was "generally peaceful,"
thanks to the efforts of the police, Reserve Officers
Training Course cadets, police interns and civic organization
groups.
But
after the parade and the crowd-control teams called
it a day, police had to respond to 12 stabbing and shooting
incidents, in which two were killed.
But
Supt. Lani-o Nerez, Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) chief,
did not consider these incidents as part of the assessment
of the peace and order of the Sinulog, saying these
all happened after the parade.
What
disappointed Nerez, though, was a report in Superbalita
that he did not go around the city.
"Nahiubos
lang ko nga duna'y report nga migawas. I'd like to know
who the reporter's source is so I can ask where they
got that information," he said.
Nerez
said he even slept at 3 a.m. yesterday, not resting
until most of the activities were over. He even showed
his "new tan" as a result of the heat last
Sunday.
The
report quoted a policeman as saying that Nerez was not
seen roving the city, unlike PRO 7 Director Avelino
Razon Jr.
Nerez
said he called the tabloid's office yesterday morning
but no one answered. He is planning to visit the office
today to settle the matter.
The
reporter, for his part, said he was on Osmeña
Ave. and did not see Nerez walking by at 10 a.m. A policeman
confirmed his observation, he said.
Nerez
said he wanted to find out who the policeman was because
chances are, he (policeman) was late or not at his assigned
post during the time he went to inspect the area.
"I
told them to be there as early as 7 a.m. If he did not
see me there, he was not at his post at the time,"
Nerez said.
He
expressed his appreciation to all the volunteers who
contributed to crowd control operations last Sunday.
As
to the stabbing and shooting incidents Sunday night,
most of these were committed by groups of youngsters
who picked on those who meddled in their affairs.
In
one incident, though, Senior Insp. Celestino Petallar,
who was responding to a shooting alarm, had to shoot
20-year-old Jerry Jimenez after he tried to stab him
with an 11-inch kitchen knife in Pasil. (See separate
story.)
In
separate incidents, reported dead were Jeno Pedros,
31, and Germogines Hermoso.
Pedros
was stabbed by his nephew Marvin after he (Pedros) and
Marvin's father had an argument.
Hermoso,
on the other hand, was found dead with stab wounds in
the right side of his neck and right breast.
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January
22, 2002
POST-SINULOG DEBATE
Visitors' awards sweep, route change top issues
LAMENTS
of non-Cebu contingents winning the top prizes in the
free interpretation and Sinulog-based categories, the
lack of semblance of Sto. Niño homage in some
dances in the open category and the sudden change of
the parade route hounded organizers Monday.
This
year's grand parade saw some changes such as the carousel
format and the open category that had many of its contingents
performing Latino.
But
lessons learned after the problems met during last Sunday's
Sinulog grand parade will help in the planning for a
better and orderly celebration next year.
Sinulog organizers came up with suggestions to improve
the festivities after receiving the complaints.
Someone
also raised the separation of out-of-town contingents
from Cebuano dance groups next year.
Sinulog
2002 overall chairman and Vice Mayor Michael Rama said
it is still best to prepare alternative routes if problems
arise next year.
The
carousel route, he said, would depend on the number
of contingents that will join the contest and the projected
size of the crowd.
Although
"enhancements can't be absolute at this point,"
Rama acknowledged that new rules need to be implemented.
One
of them is to require all contingents to be at their
assigned area by 7 a.m. Rama said some contingents arrived
in the parade route at past 8 a.m., causing problems
in the sequence of contingents.
Another
rule that will be strictly implemented is the prohibition
of vehicles and other non-performers in the parade.
Earlier,
Surigao del Norte Gov. Robert Lyndon Barbers and Placer
Mayor Donald Vellejo Sr. questioned the change of routes
on such short notice.
The
changes were made to spread the people that crowded
the streets, Rama had explained.
Barbers,
in a GMA 7 report, said he would write the Sinulog 2002
organizing committee about his complaint.
Cebu
City Councilor George Rama, a former Basak barangay
captain, also said contingents from Cebu should not
compete in the same category with out-of-town groups.
He
made the suggestion following the victory of the contingents
of Parañaque and Tangub cities in the free interpretation
and Sinulog-based categories.
Councilor Rama said contingents, especially those comprising
students from public elementary schools in Cebu City,
could not compete with the out-of-town groups that used
props due to substantial funding from their local government
units.
However,
Sinulog 2002 assistant project director Dolly Suzara
said the participation of out-of-town contingents has
resulted in "quality" performances of local
groups.
All
13 dance contingents performed again and received their
prizes and Sinulog trophies from Cebu City officials,
led by Mayor Tomas Osmeña and Vice Mayor Rama.
Osmeña,
in a short speech, gave special recognition to the Sandiego
family, who despite losing their ancestral house and
dance costumes in a fire last Friday, joined the festivities.
He
also commended the Parañaque City contingent
for joining this year and the Camiguin City contingent
for participating in the grand parade even if they suffered
from a calamity last year.
Only the contingent from Landonian-Barangay Guadalupe-Globelines,
which placed third in the open category, did not perform.
Because
of negative comments on the inclusion of the open category
this year, Rama said the Sinulog organizers will do
a survey to know what Cebuanos think of the category
and how it should be done.
However,
open category first-prize winner Port Emotions' choreographer
Loloy Rendon said it is also advisable to include a
category that is "different" from the usual
Sinulog performances done by contingents in the free
interpretation and Sinulog-based categories.
He
lamented on the observations that the open or Latin
category deviated from the purpose of the show that
is to offer prayers to the Sto. Niño.
Winners
in the float and higante contests were announced yesterday.
CEED
Marketing float won first prize, with P150,000 cash,
while WG&A won second place and got P100,000. The
third place, a P50,000 prize, went to Southwestern University.
Higante-makers
Celso Ampalayo, Richeliu Colina and Esteria Pañares
won P30,000, P20,000 and P10,000, for their creations.
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January
21, 2002
Alma Moreno, family entertain crowd
THE
public had a better view of the street-dancing Sunday
because of the new carousel format but the sightseeing
during the Sinulog grand parade was entertainment in
itself.
There
was a lot to see in the Parañaque City contingent,
for example.
Mayor
Joey Marquez, an actor and a former basketball player,
was accompanied by wife Alma Moreno, the star dancer
in the contingent, and her son Mark Anthony Fernandez,
also an actor.
From
the corner of Imus St. all the way to P. del Rosario
St. where the contingent exited after performing at
the Cebu City Sports Complex, people craned their necks
to get a glimpse of the actress whom they all described
as "still sexy after all these years."
At
Imus St. where the Parañaque group started, a
woman hollered from among the crowd, "Alma! Pakita
na! (Alma, show yourself!)"
Further
down in Fuente Osmeña, the crowd went into a
frenzy and practically yelled at Moreno to dance.
Though
he was assigned to help control the crowd, Gary Montejo,
a 17-year-old ROTC cadet from the University of San
Carlos, managed to get the autographs of Marquez and
Fernandez.
Osama
in fiesta
A
higante in the image of Osama bin Laden also attracted
some attention.
He
lumbered along the streets in an all-white outfit bringing
with him an M16 Armalite on his right shoulder and a
small airplane in his left hand, reminding spectators
of the Sept. 11 attacks on New York City's World Trade
Center.
The
Bin Laden higante was the entry of the Sto. Niño-Holy
Shroud chapel located at the corner of Mabini and Colon
Sts.
Marlon
Mansueto, who escorted the entry, said creator Celso
Ampalaya decided on a Bin Laden higante to remind people
to work for world peace.
But
locals were not the only ones awed by the show Sunday.
Two
of the 50 foreign tourists invited by the Department
of Tourism to witness the Sinulog this year only had
praises for the grand fiesta as well as for Cebuanos.
Michael
Leventhal, a reporter of the Daily Express in London,
said he had never seen anything like the Sinulog, which
he hopes to witness again.
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January
21, 2002
Open category hit; carousel 'favored'
AS
a bomb attack Camp Crame warned about did not materialize,
a last-minute change of route seemed a small price to
pay for a Sinulog grand parade that lasted at least
eight hours with few hitches.
This
year's "carousel" parade gave the crowds a
better view of the street dancing, as well as distributed
them throughout the nearly four-kilometer route.
Some
observers, however, pointed out the new open or Latin
category deviated from the purpose of the show, which
is to offer prayers to the Sto. Niño.
Cebu
City Vice Mayor Michael Rama, in his first Sinulog as
overall chairman, admitted his team is still "in
the learning process" but added he was pleased
the spectators enjoyed the parade.
Performances
at the grandstand were interrupted for over an hour
when some contingents on Gen. Maxilom Ave., instead
of moving straight to Fuente Osmeña, were "rerouted"
to Juana Osmeña St.
"It's
just that there were too many people on the road. The
only way to do that (speed things up) is to let the
performers take a longer route, to spread the people,"
Rama told reporters.
Sinulog
Executive Director Juan Aquino Jr., who for years handled
the celebration but seemed less visible this year, begged
off from giving an assessment: "No comment."
Sinulog
Foundation insiders said while he frowned on the changes
instituted by Rama, Aquino opted to keep silent so as
not to be blamed if the celebration faltered.
Aquino
hinted, though, that the last-minute "re-routing"
showed there was a problem and that he hopes "they
will learn their lesson."
Rama,
however, said they will still adopt the carousel parade
and Latin category next year "if the people enjoyed
it."
Longer
While
the crowd in the streets gained a better view from the
carousel route, the new format had dancers performing
for close to eight hours, dancing their elaborate rituals
five times instead of only once, inside the grandstand.
The
format also resulted in fewer spectators at the sports
center.
Mayor
Donald Vellejo Sr. of Placer, Surigao del Norte said
he did not mind the added burden of having his contingent
perform continuously, but he questioned why they had
to change routes at such short notice.
The
changes also became a brief nightmare for the police,
who had to divert personnel quickly to the new route.
Rama
explained that if he did not decide on that change,
the parade that started at 9 a.m. would not have finished
by 6 p.m.
Rama
also opened the Cebu City Sports Complex after the last
performance to allow more people to watch the 15-minute
fireworks display.
Mayor
Tomas Osmeña said the members of the organizing
committee still need to improve their coordination but
pointed out that the Sinulog committee this year is
composed of new people.
"But
all of these things will get better every year,"
the mayor said. His assessment: "very good attendance"
and "very nice."
He
said he appreciated the efforts of the out-of-town contingents,
who "spent over P1 million" just to participate.
Other
than petty misdemeanors, no untoward incidents related
to the Sinulog grand parade were reported.
Full
alert
Police
Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Avelino Razon Jr. was
pleased with the way the Sinulog Mardi Gras went, saying
they were well prepared for the event.
He
also said he did not take lightly the report carried
Saturday by Manila broadsheets about an alleged bombing
plot during the Sinulog.
"I
have alerted my men, as well as security managers and
guards at hotels, resorts and shopping centers,"
he told reporters.
Razon
was at the Cebu City Sports Complex as early as 6:30
a.m. Sunday. He pointed out there was a strict checking
of bags in the area at 8 a.m.
"This
would preclude any criminal activity. We should also
remember that aside from Sinulog, today is also the
anniversary of Edsa 2. Not just the PRO 7 is on alert,
but the national police," he said.
Kevin
Matthews, general manager of the Council of the City
of Broken Hill, said the "well-organized and impressive
performances" were good examples of community work
not only in Cebu but nationwide, as he noted there were
several contingents from other provinces.
Matthews'
wife, Gina, is the sister of Cebu City Councilor Gerardo
Carillo.
Alma,
dancers
Aside
from other councilors, the officials seen in the grandstands
were Reps. Raul del Mar, Antonio Cuenco and IBC 13 president
Cerge Remonde.
Sen. Robert Barbers and his sons Rep. Ace Barbers and
Surigao Gov. Robert Lyndon Barbers tagged along with
the two contingents from Surigao del Norte.
Also
seen in the crowd was former president Joseph Estrada's
lawyer Cleofe Bersola.
Actress
Alma Moreno said she did not mind the long route as
it was her offering to the Sto. Niño.
"Wala
akong naramdaman na pagod. Actually ngayon ko lang naramdaman
(after dancing on the stage), nagcramps ang paa ko.
Excited ako at hindi ko na nga pinansin ang sakit ko,"
she said.
The
heat proved too much for at least seven persons, who
were reported to have fainted during the parade.
"Kapoy,"
said Daisy Pace, a Grade 5 dancer of Inayawan Elementary
School.
Her
choreographer, Herbert Senarillos, said it was very
tiring for the children. "Pero ila na lang gikaya.
Mga fighter man ning bataa," he said.
"It
was more tiring, but also more challenging. What's important
is that spectators don't feel shortchanged," said
Dax Barlaan, choreographer of the Compostela National
High School, which won third place in last Saturday's
Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan.
Long
day
The
day also tested the patience of the police and college
cadets, although by the end of the day, the PNP holding
centers were empty of any rabble-rousers.
Two
individuals, one of them a Dutch national, lost valuables
to pickpockets. A seven-year-old boy fell after clinging
to a private vehicle. Police also picked up two lost
little boys at Fuente Osmeña.
A
fire alarm reached firefighters in the afternoon, but
the blaze was already put out when firefighters arrived.
Cebu
City Sports Complex manager Rick Ballesteros said this
year's event went on more smoothly, except that there
were "too many spectators."
Though
only 12,000 tickets were printed, he estimated the crowd
at the sports center at 15,000.
Criminal
Intelligence and Investigation Bureau Chief Paul Labra
said they did arrest three scalpers selling tickets
outside the gates of the sports complex.
Mobile
Patrol Division Chief Anthony Obenza, who was detailed
at the sports complex, agreed that while there were
more spectators than expected, the crowd was manageable
and quick to follow orders.
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January
21, 2002
Alma's group tops free interpretation
VISITING
contingents Parañaque and Tangub City romped
away with the top prizes in Sunday's Sinulog grand parade,
an extravaganza that featured at least eight hours of
dancing on streets lined by crowds.
Parañaque's
grand production number led by actress Alma Moreno,
wife of Mayor Joey Marquez, topped the free interpretation
category. It featured, among others, cartwheels, glitzy
blue and yellow costumes, and a dancer suspended from
a crane. Geleen Eugenio choreographed.
Tangub
City's Tribu Sinanduloy, which showed off a calesa and
a train set in 1920s Cebu, won first prize in the Sinulog-based
category.
Winners
will receive their awards during a special performance
Tuesday afternoon at the Cebu City Sports Center.
They
are:
Free interpretation
1. Parañaque City (P300,000 prize) 2. Tribu Placernon
Cultural Group (P150,000) 3. Pinta Flores-San Carlos
City (P100,000) 4. Camiguin Provincial Government (P50,000)
5. Tribu Bonok-Bonok Surigao City (P25,000)
Best
in costume: Basak Elementary School (P50,000)
Sinulog-based
1. Tribu Sinanduloy--Tangub City (P300,000) 2. Compostela
National High School (P150,000) 3. Kaliwatan sa mga
Mag-uuma sa Municipalidad sa Pina-mungahan (P100,000)
4. Coastal Bank Inc./Banco Maximo/Buanoy National High
School (P50,000) 5. Kasaulogan--University of Cebu (P25,000)
Best
in costume: Tribu Sinanduloy (P50,000)
Best
in progressive dancing (overall): Tribu Si-nanduloy
(P100,000)
Open
category (Latin)
1.
Port E-motions (P100,000) 2. Zapatera Night High School
(P80,000) 3. Landonian-Ba-rangay Guadalupe-Globelines
(P60,000)
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