Cebu's Sinulog Festival takes festivities online for 2021
The annual and famous Sinulog Festival will take the online route this year to ensure the health and safety of the public.
In a statement, festival organizers led by Cebu City vice mayor Michael Rama said that all activities will be recorded and broadcasted on local television and online.
“There will be no street dancing parade, no grand ritual showdown. Everything will be recorded and broadcast as live on January 17,” Rama said.
Photo by: sinulogfestival (IG)
The 22 contingents for the ritual showdown will record their performances in line with the virtual theme for this year.
The decision to cancel the physical events was recommended by the Cebu City police and local health officials to avoid large crowds from gathering.
“The Sinulog festival is a very important event in our lives, but for now, with coronavirus still very much around, let's do our prayers and celebrations simple and [with] no fanfare. We look forward to 2022 where we can have the best Sinulog ever in our lifetime,” said Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, spokesperson for the Department of Health - Central Visayas.
Photo by: sinulogfestival (IG)
The Sinulog-Santo Niño Festival is a yearly cultural and religious event staged on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City, and on the fourth Sunday of January in Carmen, Cebu.
It is considered as the center of the Santo Niño Catholic celebrations in the Philippines.
It was in 1980 when the festival was launched and since then has become one of the biggest regional spectacles in the country.
Photo by: sinulogfestival (IG)
Locals and tourists from in and out of the country flock to Cebu to participate in the festival known for its dance ritual, a loud parade featuring drums and trumpets, colorful costumes, various images of the Sto. Niño, and all-night partying.
The province of Aklan holds a similar event called the Ati-Atihan Festival and Iloilo with its Dinagyang Festival.
Last year, there were several festivals that were canceled due to the pandemic.