Millions of revelers expected in today’s Sinulog
CEBU CITY – At least three million revelers are expected to witness today’s Sinulog Festival in both the Cebu City Sports Complex, where contingents are to perform, and along the grand festival parade route, the Sinulog Foundation, Inc. has announced.
Last year, an estimated 3.5 million people witnessed the Sinulog grand parade and around the same number is expected to be in Cebu City for this year’s celebration, the Foundation and the Cebu City Police Office said yesterday.
The Sinulog grand parade will be one which will be a carousel type, which means contingents will parade towards the Cebu City Sports Complex for their presentation and parade back to the location where they started.
Such a type of parade was designed by the Sinulog Foundation so that revelers will not have to go from one place to another to witness the different dancing contingents joining in the event.
Suspended Mayor Michael Rama, who remains the Chairman of the Sinulog Foundation, urged the public to be vigilant and cautious during today’s celebration to ensure that the Sinulog Festival will be peaceful and secure.
Yesterday, at least one million devotees witnessed the fluvial parade in the morning and joined the foot procession in the afternoon amidst tight security and heavily congested traffic situation.
The fluvial procession, which brought the image of the Sto. Niño de Cebu from Mandaue City to the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño in Cebu City was described by authorities as peaceful and orderly with no incident.
The fluvial parade was followed by the reenactment of the first mass and first baptism that took place in Cebu on 1521.
Meanwhile, the dancing contingents from Placer in Masbate celebrated a back-to-back win Friday night after its festival queen, Cynthia Thomalla, was declared this year’s Sinulog Festival Queen.
Her court is comprised of Marianne Hernandez of Carcar City (first runner-up), Ceydney Basalo of Don Sergio Memorial National High School (second runner-up), Hyra Desiree Betito from Asturias town (third runner-up) and Reignna Azucena Mondoy of Catbalogan, Samar (fourth runner-up).
Last year, it was also the festival queen of Placer, Masbate that bagged the crown as Sinulog Festival Queen.