Filipinos celebrate Sinulog in Dubai
dubai — Garbed in bright-coloured costumes and dancing to the beat of the drums, thousands of Filipino expats in Dubai celebrated the sixth edition of ‘Sinulog sa UAE’ at Al Ahdaaf Sports Club on Friday.
Sinulog is one of the grandest indigenous Filipino festivals. Held back home in January ever year, Sinulog attracts local and international visitors who celebrate a Mardi Gras-style parade on the streets of Cebu City in central Philippines.
The fanfare is derived from the Visayan word sulog which roughly means ‘river current’. The carnival is a free-interpretation of street dancing. The movement is basically two steps forward and one step backward as dancers numbering to around 50 per group sway to a distinct rhythm of drums.
“In the Philippines, there are over 1,000 festivals that we celebrate and this is one of the most famous celebrations. Sinulog is a creative embodiment of the Philippines’ rich culture and fantastic
It is the imperative journey of remembering and preserving our colourful heritage.”
Furne One, entrepreneur
tradition. At the end it is the imperative journey of remembering and preserving our colourful and artistic heritage,” Dubai resident and Filipino entrepreneur Furne One told Khaleej Times.
Eleazar Sabal, a Dubai resident for 15 years who is originally from Cebu, brought his entire family to work as volunteers at the event. “It’s the spirit of camaraderie that brings us together and we want to share our culture not just with kababayans (countrymen) but with other nationalities as well,” he said.
Joey Tiberio, sales manager at Philippine Airlines, added: “The celebration of Sinulog in Dubai has become a highly anticipated every year. Even if I’m not a Cebuano, I myself look forward to this wonderful collaboration of the Filipino expat community.
angel@khaleejtimes.com