PHL: CEBU 2011 Sinulog Festival "Grand Parade Route"

January 16, 2011

Today is the Feast of the Sto. Nino, held every third Sunday of January in Cebu City Philippines.  Today, a Mananita Mass was held at the Basilica.  The Pontifical Mass at 6am was officiated by the newly installed Archbishop of Cebu, Jose Palma, his first mass at the Sto. Nino as an archbishop.  Masses will be held every one-hour-and-a-half all throughout the day from 830am until 7pm, the last mass.  After the last mass, the traditional Sinulog dance will be performed by devotees, young and old.

The archbishop also held mass at the Cebu City Sports Complex, where the SINULOG parade contingents will make the "greatest performance of their lives" before the judges.  After the Mass, the Mayor of Cebu City and the President of the Republic of the Philippines, made a speech to the Cebuanos and the whole world and declared the SINULOG officially open.

Grand Parade Route (Source: www.sinulog.ph)

The SINULOG is the cultural aspect of the feast, where contingents from all over the country perform Sinulog-based and free interpretation dances.  The dance steps reflect movement of the sea, its tide and current. SINULOG comes from the word "sulog", a native word meaning sea current.  The SINULOG originated as an activity to mimic the movement of the sea, and is basically a two-step forward and a step-backward routine. The sea is relevant in the coming of the Sto. Nino, being brought to Cebu on a galeon ship from Spain.  There are many contingents vying to win the prestige of the contest.  Since the prize money is usually not enough to cover the expenses of the contingents, it is believed that the performance is more of an offering and more for the prestige than the money.  There are also  HIGANTES (giants) and FLOATS joining the parade route.  Participants of contingents, higantes, and floats go around the city to dance and perform before the millions of revelers. The route is a carousel, where one ends in the designated starting area.