DINAGAT PLACES 2ND IN SINULOG SHOWDOWN

CEBU CITY: Performers from the districts of Dinagat joined the main stage of the Grand Parade for the first time and placed second in the Sinulog Ritual Showdown on Sunday.

“We are immensely proud of our performers and the team supporting them after spending more than a month working night and day in order to deliver the best performance they can give,” Dinagat Island Rep. Alan Uno Ecleo said on Monday.

The Dinagat Islands’ Tribu Kamanting, featuring over 450 performers including dancers, stage hands, and musicians, also competed in the festival’s street dance competition and came in at fourth place.

The Bugkosan Festival performance is centered on the four elements and how trust in God and unity (Bugkosan) among variety have allowed the province to stay strong in the face of calamity and continue to live in peace with nature.

“Performers were chosen from all over the province. They had to learn to work together with people from different places and backgrounds, united only by our faith and determination to show what the Dinagat Islands have to offer,” Ecleo said.

“This presentation is about giving thanks to God for carrying us through disasters. Winning is just another blessing from His goodness,” he added.

Dinagat Islands faced off against more established contenders in the Sinulog Ritual Showdown such as Cebu City; Bacolod City, Negros Occidental; and Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, which claimed first place.

In the street dance, Dinagat Islands finished behind champion Lumad Basakanon, second placer Canlaon City and third placer Barangay Inayawan.

“This is only our first time competing in the Sinulog stage, and it will not be our last,” Ecleo said.

The Sinulog festivities began on January 12 with community events such as nightly shows, parades, cultural presentations, fluvial processions, firework displays, and reenactments, culminating in a spectacular celebration at the festival grounds.

According to the Sinulog Foundation, more than 2.5 million people attended the culminating event on Sunday.