Report: Special gun ban eyed for Sinulog Festival in Cebu

Police in Cebu province are eyeing a special gun ban in Cebu City during the Sinulog Festival taking place this month.

 

Cebu City police head Senior Superintendent Melvin Buenafe said a gun ban can do much to curb threats, according to a report on Radyo Mo Nationwide (RMN).

 

Buenafe said they are on alert against crime, especially during the Sinulog Grand Parade, the highlight of the festival, on Jan. 15.

 

A series of activities will be held culminating on Jan. 15 with the Grand Parade. Awarding ceremonies, festivals and a film-video documentary contest are scheduled until Feb. 10.

 

He said they are waiting for Philippine National Police headquarters to approve their request for a special gun ban.

 

In the meantime, he said they will continue to thwart criminals by boosting police visibility in areas where Sinulog-related activities are being held.

 

The official website of the Sinulog 2012 indicated the festival activities started Thursday with the "Opening Salvo: Walk with Jesus."

 

Sinulog is one of the grandest and most colorful festivals in the Philippines with a very rich history. Its main festival is held on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City to honor the Santo Niño, or the child Jesus, the patron of the whole province of Cebu.

 

The Sinulog is essentially a dance ritual calling to mind the Filipino people’s pagan past and their acceptance of Christianity, the Sinulog website said.

 

"The festival features some the country’s most colorful displays of pomp and pageantry: participants garbed in bright-colored costumes dance to the rhythm of drums, trumpets, and native gongs. The streets are usually lined with vendors and pedestrians all wanting to witness the street-dancing. Smaller versions of the festival are also held in various parts of the province, also to celebrate and honor the Santo Niño," it said.

 

Recently, the cultural event has been "commercialized" as a tourist attraction. — LBG, GMA News