Successful Sinulog
Two days after the Sinulog Grand Parade and I still have the Sinulog fever in me. Our group has worked hard to deliver a flawless, comprehensive, and seamless coverage thus all the things we did seem to have never left my mind. Prior to the festivities, we witnessed how the organizers tried to switch things bringing in new concepts and new rules which branded this year's Sinulog as the strictest. Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña wanted a peaceful Sinulog, free from the many "cool kids" who used to be very rowdy in the streets. This year was really different. When you tried to look at the interior streets of the route, there were no children and adults anymore throwing booze into the air. No more random face painting and shouting of 'Pit Senyor' out of nowhere. It was orderly as it should be.
What wasn't different was the crowd. In fact, the police said there were more people this year than last year. They noted about two million people in the crowd. That goes to show, we can always have fun without alcohol or crazy partying. As I was out in the street I realized that what's important is the essence of the festival. Everybody had fun, and I could say it was it was clean fun. I could proudly be in the sea of people and not have the weird feeling of having to pass out because nobody smelled of alcohol. Kudos to that.
What wasn't too great about the Sinulog was the traffic jam that followed the festivity. The streets leading to the Plaza Independencia and the Basilica Minore Del Santo Niño was on a standstill so me and my crew had to walk to get to a location. There were too many people and too many cars which made everything too tight in the already small roads that we have. I bet a lot of people were impatient that night. As for me, I slept until we reached Mandaue City. I guess this is something we should look into next year.
Thus the idea of moving the Sinulog to the South Road Properties seems like a good idea but a lot of people will contest it especially those who have deep connection to the festival. It has always been a practice to keep the Sinulog closest to the heart of the city where the Fuente Osmeña is, and also near the Cebu City Sports Center. It is where the city beats and where everyone converges. Changing the venue would mean a huge change also in the Sinulog. It is a huge step that needs careful thinking.
As of now we can say that it was a successful Sinulog and we must keep in mind what went well, what went wrong, and how we can all improve. It wasn't as bad as it seems. Change is sometimes for the better. Cheers to a cleaner, childfriendly Sinulog. Until next year, then? We'll see.