FEW OUT-OF-TOWNERS IN GRAND PARADE

Organizers say many are not joining because of the calamities that hit their towns and cities in the past year. The dancing bees from Abuyog and Tribu Kandaya from Daanbantayan, though, will make a comeback in this year’s tilt.

Just like last year, few out-of-town contingents will be joining the Sinulog grand parade on Sunday.

But Sinulog Foundation Inc. (SFI) executive director Ricky Ballesteros said that spectators should still watch out for the local contingents as they have something new to offer.

Only Tribu Katbalaugan from Catbalogan City; Kulturang Panglaoanon from Panglao, Bohol; Tribu Buyoganon from Abuyog, Leyte; and the Kalivungan Festival of the Provincial Government of North Cotabato confirmed their attendance for the grand parade.

Ballesteros said that Tribu Buyoganon is making a comeback this year after they did not join last year.

“The group has performed and became a champion in Aliwan Festival in Manila and represented the Sinulog Festival in the World Culture Festival in India,” he said.

Tribu Kandaya from Daanbantayan in the northern town of Cebu will also be joining again this Sunday after they skipped

32 The total number of dancing contingents that will compete in the Sinulog-based and free interpretation categories in this year’s Sinulog grand parade

the competition for years due to the typhoon that hit them.

“The contingent from Daanbatayan is something to look forward to also because they already won in early 2000. This is their comeback,” he said.

The four out-of-town contingents are part of the dancing contingents that will perform during the grand parade and ritual showdown at the Cebu City Sports Center.

Last year, there were also only four out-of-town contingents that joined the grand parade.

The out-of-town contingents are usually the crowd favorite, however, Councilor Dave Tumulak said that most of the groups cannot make it in this year’s event due to the calamities that hit them months before the competition.

Despite the number, Ballesteros said the audience can still expect a grand performance from all those who will join the grand parade.

“If we based it on their performance during the Sinulog sa Lalawigan and Dakbayan, our local contingents have something to offer also. Aside from that, they still have enough time to improve before their performance on Sunday because most of them did not give their all because they wanted to surprise the audience,” he said.

For this year, organizers are planning to start the parade earlier than the usual as Mayor Tomas Osmeña wants to finish the event by 5 p.m. /