Sunday, January 18, 2004
Close to 1M devotees attend 5-hr procession
By Charmaine Y. Rodriguez and Allan I. Varquez

CEBU -- Close to a million devotees braved the heat and a five-kilometer route to pay reverence to Señor Sto. Niño in Saturday's solemn procession, the religious highlight of Cebu's Sinulog.

Devotees waved their hands and released doves, balloons and confetti as soon as the image of the Holy Child passed by them.

Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal led the faithful and said a prayer for "clean and peaceful elections" in May.

However, the prelate, who will turn 73 next month, admitted that he was exhausted after the procession.

"I'm tired. I'm very, very tired," he told reporters on his way to rest at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral rectory.

Vidal will celebrate the 6 a.m. pontifical mass on Sunday, feast day of the Sto. Niño.

Although the route was longer, the procession took less than five hours and finished earlier than last year.

However, it took almost 30 minutes for the carroza of the Sto. Niño to proceed to D. Jakosalem St. since crowds started pushing their way into the cordon and three layers of security personnel.

The security detail was composed of police recruits, guards and volunteers from the Civil Welfare Training Service.

Some of the devotees did not mind getting hurt as security personnel tried to stop them.

Crowd control

The crowd's refusal to immediately clear the streets, especially D. Jakosalem, stalled the procession for some minutes.

Around 500 security guards cordoned the area occupied by the carroza, Cardinal Vidal and other priests and public officials.

Sen. Robert Barbers, Rep. Raul del Mar (Cebu City, north), Rep. Jose Gullas (Cebu, 1st district) and Talisay City Mayor Eduardo Gullas were among those present.

Before the group reached the corner of D. Jakosalem and Colon Sts., some 50 priests and nuns were asked to step out of the cordoned area because they had to limit the persons to 80 for better security, said Sto. Niño Barangay Councilor Pancho Ramirez, a member of the crowd control team.

However, the congestion was partly because Barbers brought with him about 20 bodyguards during the procession.

Despite appeals not to use the Sinulog for politics, streamers of the Kontra Politika Movement, Akbayan Party-list and the Maganto for Senator Movement were also seen along the procession route.

Those balloons

Devotees started walking from the Basilica del Sto. Niño, then to D. Jakosalem St., to Gen. Maxilom Ave., M.J. Cuenco Ave. and back to the basilica at 6:45 p.m.

Confetti fell from a giant golden crown that was rigged over D. Jakosalem St. near the University of the Visayas, while dozens of balloons were released at the Sacred Heart Parish.

An unidentified boy was hurt when the balloon he was holding burst after a lighted candle touched it. His hair caught fire.

Just before the Holy Child returned to the basilica, another balloon that burst caused a minor stampede on M.J. Cuenco Ave. near Plaza Independencia. People thought a bomb had exploded.

Just a balloon, someone shouted. And people calmed down.

Priests had repeatedly warned against bringing balloons because these could cause accidents.

Joyful crowds

The crowds, though, could not be stopped, especially in showing their faith in Sto. Niño. Some children even danced the Sinulog in front of the Archbishop's Palace.

The joy shown by Cebuanos in welcoming the feast of the Sto. Niño is proof that the Holy Child has the power to unite people, one clergyman said.

"Bisan na lang sa fiesta we forget our problems, our division, and we remember that we all are brothers," said Bishop John Du during the mass that followed at the Pilgrim Center last night.

Du urged the people to show their love everyday and not just during special occasions such as the Sinulog.

"If we do this, we will grow spiritually," he said.

Security at the basilica was tighter than usual, with 24 more guards augmenting the six already detailed in the area.

The gates on Burgos St., Osmeña Blvd. and D. Jakosalem and Borromeo Sts. were closed until the procession ended and the mass started about 7 last night.

The basilica had to be "cleansed" last Thursday dawn after a church worker was shot inside the basilica last Jan. 11. It was closed to the public from 8 p.m. Wednesday to 4 a.m. Thursday.

Donal Donasco, a security guard, said each member-security agency of the Philippine Association of Detective and Protective Agency Operators committed for free 10 guards to secure the basilica and the procession.

Four Red Cross first aid stations were also set up near the Pilgrim Center.

Saturday, January 17, 2004
Pilgrims ‘feel lucky’ to get free lodgings
By Linette C. Ramos

With Devotees City, out-of-towners ‘won’t have to spend’ for stay in Cebu

THE Devotees City hosts not just families from as far as Iligan City who practice their devotion to the Sto. Niño every January. Candles, straw hats and fans have also filled the makeshift hotel rooms.

Devotees and out-of-towners who hope to earn a few pesos this Sinulog started to arrive at the Devotees City as early as Thursday morning.

Unmindful of the heat inside the vans, the visitors feel lucky to be among the 1,200 guests who will be accommodated for free, with meals donated by civic groups and private companies.

Josea Canello, 34, said the Devotees City allows them to participate in the Sinulog activities and at the same time sell items widely used during the Sinulog.

“We come here every year since they let us rest here for free. There’s food and water. Although hot during the day, this is better than sleeping on the street,” said Canello, who came with her children and neighbors from Lutopan in Toledo City.

Canello will be sleeping with at least 10 other people inside a van at night and will be selling candles with her sons at the Basilica del Sto. Niño during the day.

Visitors from Iligan, General Santos and Davao cities and other parts of Mindanao also availed themselves of the free accommodation and food at the Devotees City beside Fort San Pedro, which is organized every year by the Cebu City Government.

The Devotees City will also house homeless people sleeping within the vicinity of the basilica in the next three days.

“The objective of the Devotees City program is to see to it that no one sleeps in the street near the church and to also give people from other places a chance to practice their devotion without spending for their stay in Cebu City,” Anecita Alo said.

Alo, head of the Cebu City Department of Manpower, Development and Placement, said they will prioritize devotees who cannot afford to stay in hotels or pension houses.

As of 4 p.m. Friday, at least 400 guests registered to stay in 60 container vans. The vans can accommodate up to 20 individuals, or a total of 1,200 for all 60 vans provided by WG&A shipping company. Bathrooms are also provided.

Marcelina Layan, 42, of Toledo City stays at the Devotees City every year.

She is thankful to the City Government for allowing her and her family to stay in the vans so they can fulfill their yearly offering and devotion to the Sto. Niño.

“We like it here since it’s near the basilica. We can pray to the patron for Him to grant us good health and long life, and we hope He’ll give us food,” she said.

Julcia Katam-isan, 65, of Bogo, Cebu arrived at the Devotees City Friday morning with sacks of straw hats, which she and her neighbors will sell on Saturday and Sunday.

“It’s good to bring wares to sell to cover for our fare. When we come here every year, selling is part of our devotion” Katam-isan said.

The devotees have until Monday afternoon to stay in the vans, before the homeless return to the streets and the out-of-towners go home.

Friday, January 16, 2004
The Little Boy Saint Comes in Many Forms
By Charmaine Y. Rodriguez

WHETHER you are a devotee or simply an art lover, the Sto. Niño images on exhibit at Ayala Center Cebu are a feast to the eyes.

Msgr. Cris Garcia is also on hand to reveal many fascinating details about the icons on display, especially his favorites among his more than 40 collections that are on display.

The Sleeping Sto. Niño of the Vineyard is his top choice. What he likes most about the plaster icon is the vines that decorate the stone where the Child Jesus lays his head.

The icon, dressed in mint green cloth, was given to him by his father Jose when he was only eight years old.

Garcia, now 53, started collecting Sto. Niño images when he was only five. “It reminds me of how my father thought of me. It also speaks of the Bible verse found in John 15, where Jesus said: ‘I am the vine, you are the branches.’ (The Society of the Angels of Peace) chapel in Cansojong (Talisay) carries the same theme,” the monsignor says. The late national artist Fidel Araneta used the image, which is from the Rhine area of Germany, as a model when he created his own version in 1965. His work is now in the National Museum in Manila. Garcia’s other favorite is the Sto. Niño of the Society of the Angels of Peace, which he heads. The icon is dressed in a white robe and a brown apron. It is only a little over a foot tall but the icon has a belt with a rosary tucked in its side and a small cross in the chest. This version of the Sto. Niño also wears an Immaculate Heart of Mary medallion.

A work of artist Dondon Awa, this wood carving depicts the Sto. Niño as a carpenter. The boy carries a toolbox.

Aside from evangelization, organizers of the exhibit want the public to realize that “we have a duty to our artists,” the monsignor says.

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New policy bars Sandiego group
By Linette C. Ramos and Gingging A. Campaña

Guest performers can no longer take part: officials

FOR the past 24 years, the Sandiego family of choreographers and dancers has wowed and won the hearts of Sinulog spectators.

This year, they won't be seen at the grand parade, after Sinulog officials decided to exclude guest performers this Sunday.

Sinulog executive director Ricky Ballesteros said they want to make sure the parade runs smoothly. Last year, he said, the guest performers did not follow the guidelines, creating inconsistencies and gaps in the parade.

Val Sandiego said he is disappointed with the new policy set by the Sinulog 2004 executive committee because they have been joining the parade since it started in 1980.

When they lost their costumes and props to a fire that hit the Sandiego house a few days before the 2002 Sinulog grand parade, the troupe still joined the parade even if they were only dressed in white jeans and shirts. They were loudly applauded when they performed.

"I feel very bad about this because we were told that we can no longer join the parade if we will not be competing. It's disappointing and I feel sorry for the organizers because it's wrong. There are a lot of people who want to offer their dance to the patron," he told Sun.Star.

After the Sandiego dance troupe was awarded the grand prize and the best costume award three times, Sandiego promised to the Sto. Niño that they will no longer compete in the annual parade and that their performance will just be an offering.

"If only the Sto. Niño could say that they are wrong, I'm sure He would really tell the organizers their decision is wrong," Sandiego said.

He added that if the Sinulog executive committee refuses to allow them to join as guest performers, the Sandiego dance troupe will perform at the periphery of the parade route this Sunday.

The Sandiego dance troupe cannot register as a contingent because they only have 30 dancers. The minimum requirement is 60 dancers.

Sinulog 2004 project director Dolly Suzara said dancing on the parade route by groups that did not register will strictly be prohibited.

"If we give in to Sandiego, we will have to consider all the other groups that we turned down. It is unfair to allow Sandiego to be guest performers when we already refused the others," she said in a phone interview.

Sinulog over-all chairman Michael Rama declined to comment on the matter last night. He will first talk with the committee.

Monday was the last day of registration for participants in all categories.

Meanwhile, performers from Manila will open the yearly shelter for devotees of the Señor Sto. Niño near the Fort San Pedro, Cebu City on Thursday.

The Cebu City Government, organizers and sponsors of Devotee City look forward to housing some 800 pilgrims, vendors and revelers of the Fiesta Señor from outside the city, as they offer more services for the celebration this year.

WG&A Inc. will put up 60 vans at the site to house the devotees on Jan. 16, 17 and 18.
The organizers led by Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera held a news conference yesterday at the Jollibee Mango Ave. branch, which is also one of the major sponsors of the annual activity.
Young star Heart Evangelista and the Aegis band will perform near the fort on Thursday night for the "Handog sa Sinulog ng Star FM-Bombo Radyo."

A variety show will also be held on Jan. 16 with Jeffrey Hidalgo and Champagne Morales as guest performers.

Councilor Arsenio Pacaña said they will try to ask one or two priests to visit the shelter in the evening and allow 10 confessions.

Pesquera said sidewalk vendors and candle vendors who have nowhere to sleep these three days may also go to the shelter because they will not be allowed to sleep on the sidewalks near the Basilica del Sto. Niño.

All ambulant vendors near the basilica who wish to take shelter at the Devotee City will be asked to register and get their IDs from the working committee.

Those who arrive on Thursday may register early, but they will not be allowed to sleep inside the vans because no security personnel will be assigned yet on that day.

At the Sinulog Foundation Inc. office on Monday, nine entries were recorded for the on-site decoration contest, 13 entries for the float category, 23 for higante and 20 for puppeteers.
As of 7:30 Monday night, 47 contingents registered for the Sinulog 2004 grand parade, 10 of which are from other provinces.

Ballesteros said the Sandiego dance troupe can only join the parade if they register as a contingent.

Members of the Sandiego dance troupe were practicing and making their costumes last night for their performance on Sunday.

"It doesn't matter if we just dance on the side of the streets for as long as we can offer something to the Sto. Niño. People will be looking for us," Sandiego said.

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Monday, January 12, 2004
Cebuanos dine on barbecue under stars, smoke
By Allan I. Varquez

AS SMOKE covered most of Osmeña Blvd. Sunday night, over 700 vendors and a crowd estimated at 70,000 enjoyed the sight of a line of barbecue stands stretching 1.3 kilometers long. The crowd was so thick that Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña was unable to reach Fuente Osmeña on foot to do the ceremonial lighting by 4 p.m. He walked from the Cebu City Sports Complex, where he watched the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Dakbayan, to Fuente Osmeña. But even if organizers had to wait until 5:37 p.m. to start, a new record was set. Lined up, last night’s grills proved longer than Peru’s 613 meters in 1997 and Dagupan City’s 1.1-kilometer bangus grill festival last year. Southeast Asia Food Inc. (Safi), which makes vinegar and patis, spent between P3 million and P5 million as main sponsor of the “Sugbayanihan.” Moments after vendors lit up the charcoal, people began choosing between pork and chicken barbecue, at P5, P10 or P15 per stick, depending on the sizes of the cuts.

SUGBAYANIHAN. Vendors, cooks, and college students on Sunday cooked up a Guinness World Record with Sugbayanihan--the new world's longest barbecue grill measuring 1, 300 meters. The grill was connected end to end from Fuente Osmeña to Sanciangco street.. SUN.STAR FOTO

“We’re very excited. Alas 10 pa god mi diri sa buntag kay sukad masukad karon pa god ni mahitabo dinhi sa ato (We’ve been here since 10 a.m. because this is the first time we’ve seen something like this),” said Lucilla Villacorte, a barbecue vendor from Duljo Fatima, who occupied barbecue stand number seven.

“Enjoyable and exciting, grabe gyod. We should do this every year,” said Regina Lim, 38, who was with her husband and two children.

700 vendors

A fireworks display in Fuente Osmeña added to the excitement.

Each barbecue stand was two meters long. Safi built 654 of them, connected end to end, to occupy the stretch from Fuente Osmeña to the corner of Osmeña Blvd. and Sanciangko St.

The other lane of Osmeña Blvd. was left open. But vehicles from the Capitol had to turn right to B.Rodriguez St. then turn left to V. Rama Ave. to reach downtown Cebu City.

Senior Insp. Benifacio Cabasag, traffic division deputy chief, said vehicles from Mandaue, Lahug and Mabolo had to use F. Ramos St. in going downtown.

Despite the Sugbayanihan, business went on as usual at Fuente Osmeña’s Larsian barbecue stalls, only 50 meters from the activity.

City Hall’s urban poor coordinator Bimbo Fernandez said that over 700 people from different urban poor organization served as vendors.

They each got half a gallon of vinegar and patis, provided free by Safi. They only had to buy rice (puso) and the chopped pork and chicken meat from a food manufacturing firm, at P120 per kilo.

Donated too

In a short speech, the mayor said the success of Sugbayanihan went beyond his expectations.

“This is the biggest picnic in the history of Cebu City,” he said, addressing a crowd near the stage in front of the Department of Health office.

Four wooden stages were built in different locations, each with sound systems and live bands.

Cito Alejandro, Safi’s president and chief operations officer, said his firm will donate the barbecue stands to the City Government so these can be used for livelihood projects.

Osmeña, in a talk with reporters, said he has no plans yet on what to do with the barbecue stands.

“But I am open to any suggestion,” he said.

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SIMPLE costumes, minimal props and their clear dramatization of the Stone Age people's lives won for Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. Memorial National High School the grand prize in Sunday's Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Dakbayan.

Don Sergio also won the top prize last year.

Lahug Elementary School's interpretation of the Sto. Niño's role as provider and peacemaker also bagged the first prize and the best costume award in the elementary level.

Judges in this year's Sinulog sa Kabataan were happy to see other traditional dance movements, aside from basic Sinulog steps, as well as the linking of Sinulog to traditions and culture of tribes from other regions.

Performances this year, however, did not live up to the expectations of some of the judges.

"I was expecting more exciting performances for this afternoon. Personally, it is not what I expected. I can see that their performance and costumes could still be improved but it is also refreshing to see them using traditional dance steps," said Josefina Guillen, chairperson of the board of judges.

Grand parade

The top five contingents for both elementary and secondary levels automatically compete in the grand parade on Sunday.

Thirty-two contingents participated in Sunday's competition.

The judges, who are all choreographers, also noted that the Sinulog dance now has variations, with the use of ati-atihan and other dance steps that originated in Luzon and Mindanao.

They were also surprised to find out that the board was split in their choice of winners, "but the top five winners of each judge were the top five overall winning contingents," Guillen said.

Dressed in Flintstones-inspired costumes and with very few props, the 63 dancers from Don Sergio Osmeña depicted two "Barok" tribes fighting over a dinosaur egg.

The discovery of the Sto. Niño by one of the tribes' members paved the way for the reconciliation of the two tribes. A backdrop of mountains and Stone Age scenes complemented the precise movements and winning performance of Tribo Barok.

"The theme and their dance steps are unique, may pagka ethnic ang dating. Their movements are very precise and dramatization was very clear but I would have been happier if I saw why and how they appreciated the Sto. Niño," Guillen added.

Great surprise

Hazel Baro, choreographer of Tribo Barok, said they did not expect to win since they had only two weeks of practice and their costumes and props were simple.

"We didn't have enough money for a grand presentation. We only had P20,000 to spend for their costumes and practices," she said of her male dancers.

Except for the collapse of Tribo Zapatera's hanging bridge, nothing else marred the four-hour event held in the Cebu City Sports Complex. No one was injured in the incident.

Students of the Lahug Elementary School portrayed the Holy Child's blessing of world peace and food for street children roaming the Basilica del Sto. Niño area. The presentation started with young scavengers fighting over food.

When they passed by Magellan's Cross, the Sto. Niño emerged from the monument and gave them blessings of abundant food and peace.

Their Barong Tagalog and Maria Clara costumes also earned them the best costume award for the elementary level.

The Ramon Duterte Memorial National High School student's elaborate costume also won the best costume award in the secondary level.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, Vice Mayor Michael Rama, Cebu City Rep. Antonio Cuenco and city councilors awarded yesterday's winners with cash and trophies.

First place winners earned P150,000; second, P100,000; third, P80,000; fourth, P40,000; and fifth, P30,000.

Winners for the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Dakbayan 2004

Elementary

1st Lahug Elem. School, (also Best in Custume)
2nd Banilad Elem. School
3rd City Central Elem. School
4th Mambaling Elem. School
5th Bulacao Community Elem. School

High School

1st Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. Memorial School
2nd Ramon Duterte
Memorial Day High School, (also Best in Costume)
3rd Pardo National High School
4th Don Vicente Rama Memorial Night High School
5th Abellana National School

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Cordova, Compostela win top prizes in provincial leg of Sinulog sa Kabataan

HUGE props scored big with judges in Saturday's Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan, where a drizzle failed to dampen the winning performance of Compostela National High School.

Aside from fluid dance steps, the craftsmanship of the props and the graceful manner these were used won for Compostela the top plum in the high school category.

Compostela used mammoth baby angels mounted on steel bars with wheels and a giant image of Sto. Niño that showed the basilica's altar when wheeled back.

Compostela, which also went home with the top prize last year, took the longest time to set up its props on stage.

The set featured as backdrops historical moments involving the Sto. Niño, like the image's arrival here and the erection of Magellan's Cross.

Placing second was Colawin National High School from Argao town. The contingent impressed the judges because they were able to "transcend" the Sinulog from a mere festivity in Cebu into a celebration of global peace and unity.

"Na-refocus nya ang Sinulog na hindi lang dapat sa Cebu o sa Pilipinas but even the whole world because of its message of peace," said Josefina Guillen, chairperson of the board of judges.

World peace

The group's presentation included giant cutouts of people of different nationalities holding hands, and a United Nations' logo from where tamsi, a species of birds common in Argao, were set free.

Dalaguete National High School got third place because, despite its smooth execution of choreography, it lacked props.

The judges admitted they had a hard time picking the winner in the high school category, which had nine participants.

In the elementary category it was easier, they said, because they immediately noticed the "performance level, choreography and stage presence" of the winner.

Banay Cordovanhon, which won first place in last year's Dinagat Festival in Cordova town, bested six others yesterday. It depicted the hardships of its people as fishermen.

Students from Cogon Elementary School in Cordova composed the contingent.

The judges, all veteran choreographers, credited the win to the "uniqueness" of the group's presentation.

"They were able to present the theme very clearly. They were very focused, hindi katag. Every part of the performance contributed to relating the message," Guillen.

Overtime

Ronnie Bentulan, a kindergarten teacher who did the choreography, said it was easy for him to come up with the theme because he was simply showing the reality in the town.

He said it was like a prayer for abundance and thanksgiving for Sto. Niño. The judges liked the way fishes were used to convey the central theme.

The judges said Barili Elementary School would have given Cordova a run for its money had it not exceeded the maximum allotted time of five minutes.

The violation resulted in a five-point deduction, eliminating the group from being in the top five.

Dax Barlaan, choreographer for both Compostela and Argao, said their edge was "clever" choreography, clean-cut formation, and the theme and concept of "putongan" whose root word is "putong", a Tagalog word for crown.

In Marinduque, he said, folks crown their visitors. He adopted this as evidenced by the huge crown under which the lady bearing the image of the Sto. Niño was paying homage to the Holy Child.

Large crowd

For Argao, he added, he envisioned the performance to carry the theme of peace, as can be gleaned from the mammoth white bird with the dancers forming its body.

Fist place winners earned P150,000; second, P100,000; third, P80,000; fourth, P40,000; and fifth, P30,000.

The choreographers for first to fifth placers earn P20,000, P16,000, p12,000, P8,000, and P4,000, respectively.

Ricky Ballesteros, executive director of the Sinulog Foundation Inc., estimated the grandstand crowd at 12,000 to 15,000.

He said that unlike last year, this year's Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan drew a very large crowd.

The estimate did not even include those who watched from the street, as the contingents paraded from the Capitol grounds to the Cebu City Sports Center.

Guillen, the head of the board of judges, is the secretary of the National Dance Committee of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCAA) and vice president of the Philippine Folk Dance Society.

The other judges were Xavier University Dance Troupe founder Dorothy Jean Pabayo, Negros Oriental Provincial Board Member Mariant Villegas, NCCA board member and Region 2 folk dance coordinator Dr. Mila Ancheta and Dr. Corazon Agustin, also of NCCA and Philippine Folk Dance Society.

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“IT WILL be the biggest picnic in Cebu,” says Mayor Tomas Osmeña, of the attempt to make the world's longest BBQ in time for the Sinulog 2004 festivites.

At present, the record holder of the longest barbeque is Sicuani, Peru with 613 meters of grilled meat listed as the longest barbeque in the Guinness Book of World Records.

On Jan. 11, Sunday, more than a thousand vendors, cooks and Hotel and Restaurant Management students will work hand in hand to take charge of the grills on Osmeña blvd., all 1,300 meters in length. The grill starts at 4 p.m. from the corner of the Department of Health (near Fuente Osmeña) to Sanciangko street.

The event is dubbed Sugbayanihan, from the words bayanihan and sugba, the sponsors say.
Bayanihan, once a thriving Filipino tradition that signifies the spirit of communal unity and working together for the common good, may soon face extinction. Through Sugbayanihan, it hopes to get the city to come together and work as one to build the longest barbecue grilling line in the world.

The Philippines has no shortage of Guinness World Records holders. Some recent awards include the “Largest Tossed Salad” for Baguio and the “Sili King of the World” for Armando Martillan of Malabog, Albay Province. Most of the titles garnered are rooted to the key flavors of the place. Baguio is known for its vegetables and Albay is home to the Bicolanos who are known for their high tolerance for chili. Sugba is a favorite cooking style in Cebu.

The activity is initiated by the local goverment, the Sinulog Committee together with South East Asia Food, Inc., makers of Datu Puti Vinegar Soy sauce and Sugba sauce. The meat will come from the Cebu Livestock Association.

The Phil. Geodetic Commission will be around to document the measurement as required by Guinness. Members of the different urban poor groups will act as vendors.

Entertainment will be provided by local band performances and games. Three stages will be run by radio stations Killer Bee, Monster Radio, and dyUR. One stage will be for Datu Puti and the Cebu City Goverment.

The Cebuano’s competitive energy and fondness for celebrating community life will be key factors in making this event part of the Guinness Book of World Records. After all, a Guinness award does wonders for boosting a city’s ego and the people’s morale.

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Oneness in time of wars, injustice: church’s call to thousands of devotees who joined Niño procession

DEVOTEES of the Sto. Niño are urged to pray for peace, which is the “most-felt need” in this time of wars and injustice.

“Oneness, that’s what we need. Openness among people of different races, culture and faith,” said Fr. Bong Mesina, rector of the Basilica del Sto. Niño, as he explained the theme of this year’s festivities, “Unity and Peace in and through Señor Sto. Niño.”

A sea of devotees holding up lit candles filled Cebu City streets Thursday morning as the feast of Cebu’s patron was launched with the annual dawn procession from Fuente Osmeña to the basilica.

Thousands packed the Pilgrim Center where a novena mass was held at 5:30 a.m.
Since it is an election year, Rev. Fr. Andy Satura, in his homily, told jokes about presidential aspirant Fernando Poe Jr. and President Arroyo.

He also talked about the importance of listening to prophecies so that incidents like the Southern Leyte tragedy will not happen again.

Candle vendor Fe Saura, 45, observed that the turnout this year was bigger than last year’s as it was drizzling then.

Devotees, including City Hall employee Danny Encarnacion, who was in crutches, sang and prayed the rosary toward the basilica in the “Walk for Jesus.”

Encarnacion, 44, said it was his first time to attend the dawn procession.

Vice Mayor Michael Rama, overall chairman of Sinulog 2004, was also present.

The Augustinian priests also named Jose and Beatrice Roble as the Hermano and Hermana Mayores of 2004.

The installation of Hermano and Hermana Mayores, they said, dates back to the time of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, who was the first hermano or protector of the image of the Sto. Niño.

After the novena mass, a contingent from Barangay Pasil danced the Sinulog at the Pilgrim Center.

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*Organizers declare Sinulog street dancing exclusive to contestants
*Guest contingents reportedly affected flow of parade last year due to lack of coordination in choreography

UNLIKE previous Sinulog celebrations, guest contingents will not be allowed to join this year's grand parade to avoid inconsistencies and confusion.

Officials of the Sinulog Foundation Inc. said on Thursday that once a contingent registers, it is automatically considered a participant in the street dancing contest.

Ricky Ballesteros, executive director of the organizing committee for Sinulog 2004, said that last year, guest contingents affected the flow of the parade because of lack of coordination in choreography.

"So, we decided that there will be no more guest contingents this year. There are groups that want to join for the sake of offering themselves to the Sto. Niño but because there is no coordination, the parade is affected," he said.

Experience

At least seven foreign and local guest contingents joined the parade last year.

No foreign delegation will take part in the grand parade on Jan. 18.

Ballesteros lamented that guest delegations that joined did not follow the guidelines set by the committee for the Sinulog-based and free interpretation categories.

Instead of dancing and following the prescribed movements, the dancers simply walked, which created a gap in the parade.

As of Thursday afternoon, 27 contingents from Cebu and other provinces already registered with the Sinulog Foundation office.

The 20 winning contingents in the Sinulog sa Lalawigan and Sinulog sa Kabataan will also be joining the parade, which will still follow the carousel route.

A special committee was also formed to monitor the costumes, props and choreography of the contingents to avoid any mishap.

Schedule

Novena masses for the opening salvo are being celebrated at the Basilica del Sto. Niño pilgrim center.

At the City Council session on Thursday, Sinulog 2004 over-all chairman Michael Rama urged all councilors to attend the 1 p.m. mass sponsored by the City Government.

There will also be a 4 a.m. "Walk with Jesus" procession from Fuente Osmeña to the basilica.

The annual puppeteer, higante and float competitions will also be held this year.

New awards will also be given, including the search for the Sinulog Festival Queen, the contingent with the "best musicality" and the best five-minute Sinulog video documentary.

On Jan. 16, the board of judges will choose 15 from among all female lead dancers, who will all be semi-finalists in the search for the 2004 Sinulog Festival Queen.

The best female lead dancer, who will be judged according to beauty, dancing talent and costume, will be awarded on Jan. 17, the day before the grand parade.

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A DAY during Sinulog week will be declared a "carless" day.

The Cebu City Council approved on Thursday the proposal of the City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) to implement this scheme during Sinulog celebration.

The committee on transportation, in its report, said the scheme will decongest the streets because private cars will be barred from entering city streets on a particular day.

Scheme study

However, Citom has yet to submit a study of the scheme and specify what day of the week is to be declared a carless day. The study is needed to back Citom's proposal.

"There is also a question as to the boundaries or limits, or as to which city streets will be affected by the scheme," said Councilor Nestor Archival, chairman of the committee.

It has been a practice in the past that some streets will be closed to traffic to make way for the Sinulog grand parade.

Also, people will have more room to move around even beyond the streets covered by the parade route.

The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) is also planning security measures during the fiesta, particularly on Jan. 17, 18 and 19, which are considered the busiest part of the celebration.

CCPO Chief Cecil Ezra Sandalo said that aside from the 83 Regional Mobile Group policemen who are already detailed with CCPO, 17 more will be added.

At least 450 police recruits will also be fielded during the celebration. GAC/MBG

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Rama orders removal of fiesta streamers bearing aspirants’ names

SINCE the organizers cannot bar politicians from coming to the Sinulog festivities, Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama is asking candidates to avoid turning the religious activity into a campaign sortie.

As early as this week, Rama, the Sinulog chairman, instructed the Office of the Building Official to watch out for and remove streamers or any political signage posted in the city in the guise of announcing the celebration of the annual fiesta.

With the elections only four months away, Rama said national candidates are expected to come to Cebu during the Sinulog to make themselves visible to voters.

Mood

The vice mayor is also appealing to all fraternities, sororities or some organizations not to destroy the Sinulog festive mood during the Jan. 18 grand parade.

“If you are not allowed, don’t get yourself in,” he told a news conference Tuesday.

The Sinulog Foundation is set to spend close to P10 million for this year’s activities.

The bulk of the budget will go to the cash prizes and trophies of the winning contingents for the Sinulog grand parade. As expected, the Cebu City Government will be giving its yearly P3-million financial assistance to the foundation.

“We are hoping that sponsors will come in and flowing. We will have to offer this to the Señor Sto. Niño,” Rama said.

Help

A lot of private firms are offering their help to make the festivities livelier. One of the major sponsors for the grand parade is Smart Communications.

Globe Telecom, Rama said, has not made clear what particular activity it is sponsoring because “the company wants exclusivity.”

On Jan. 11, over a thousand barbecue vendors, cooks and hotel and restaurant management students will be holding the Sugbayanihan, the longest barbecue grill.

The Sugbayanihan is touted as a record-breaking event aimed at putting Cebu City in the world record books.

Datu Puti Sugba Sauce will host the grill with a length of 1,300 meters to beat the existing record of 613 meters of Sicuani, Peru.
The longest grill is expected to be set along Osmeña Blvd. Cebu City.

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Says foundation director; special committee formed to monitor costumes, props to avoid mishaps

SINULOG 2004 is expected to be livelier this year with more out-of-town contingents participating and more special awards and prizes to be given away.

Ricky Ballesteros, executive director of the Sinulog Foundation Inc., said preparations for the festivities are nearly completed and that they are just waiting for all participating contingents to register.

At least 25 contingents have already registered as of Monday.

Ballesteros also said organizers expect to have more contingents from other provinces than last year, with some groups already informing the organizers of their intent to join.

“Preparation for all the activities is already 80 percent finished. We are just finalizing the list of contingents and additional precautionary measures for the safety of the dancers,” he said.

Special body

A special committee was also formed to monitor costumes, props and choreography of the contingents to avoid any mishap, especially in the Sinulog sa Kabataan.

Ballesteros said they learned from the accident last year when students who danced barefoot on the stage were scalded.

Dancers who will perform at noon or while the stage is still hot will be required to wear slippers.

Contingents, tourists, locals and revelers are also in for more special awards this year.

The search for the Sinulog Festival Queen, the award for the contingent with “the best musicality” and a video documentary contest will be held for the first time, Ballesteros said.

As of Monday, 15 contingents have already registered for the free interpretation category, while 10 registered for the Sinulog-based category.

Contingents from other provinces that have already registered include those from Iligan, San Carlos City (2), Camiguin (2), Surigao (3), Tangub City and Negros Oriental. Ormoc and Ozamiz are also joining for the first time.

Ballesteros said that most of the local contingents will register on or a few days before the last day of registration, which is Jan. 10.

Festival queen

On Jan. 16, the board of judges will choose 15 from among all female lead dancers, who will all be semi-finalists in the search for the 2004 Sinulog Festival Queen.

The best female lead dancer, who will be judged according to beauty, dancing talent and costume, will be awarded on Jan. 17, the day before the grand parade.

The judges will also choose the contingent with the best musicality.

The prizes are P50,000 for first place, P30,000 for second and P20,000 for third.

“That is why we are encouraging the contingents to be innovative with their musical instruments. Those with the most impressive instruments, which can be made of indigenous materials, kanang wala pa makit-an sa mga tawo, we will award them,” Ballesteros said.

Winners of the five-minute video documentary will be declared on Jan. 31, along with the winners of the annual Sinulog photo contest. LCR

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CEBU Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal is urging the faithful to focus on the religious and spiritual aspects of the feast of Sto. Niño, Cebu’s patron.

The archdiocese is reminding devotees to take part in the church’s activities, apart from enjoying the Sinulog mardi gras.

Activities in line with the annual feast, which falls on Jan. 18, will begin on Jan. 8, Thursday, with a 4 a.m. procession from Fuente Osmeña to the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño.

Feast organizers have come up with the theme “Unity and peace in and through Señor Sto. Niño” for this year’s celebration.

Priority

Vidal, in Sunday’s Bag-ong Lungsoranon, the official publication of the archdiocese, and the Augustinian fathers, who are the organizers of the feast, hope that the faithful will prioritize spending time in prayer and in giving thanks to the Child Jesus.

There will be novena masses from Jan. 8 to 16 at 5:30 a.m. up to 7 p.m.

The Translacion or the transfer of the image of the Sto. Niño to the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue City will be on Jan. 16, after a 7 a.m. mass.

At 7 a.m. on Jan. 17, a day before the feast, there will be a fluvial parade from the Ouano wharf in Mandaue City to Cebu City, where a reenactment of the baptism of the first Christians in Cebu will be held at the Pilgrim Center of the basilica.

The solemn procession of the image of the Sto. Niño, which organizers consider the biggest aspect of the celebration, will then follow at 1:30 p.m.

There will be a mañanita mass at 4 a.m. on Jan. 18, as well as Vidal’s pontifical mass at 6 a.m. CYR

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