Talisay City performers erupt in joy as they are declared champion in the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan yesterday.

For the dead to find eternal rest and access to the heaven's gates, prayers are important.

This was the central message of Talisay City Division's performance that snatched the first place in yesterday's Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan.

It was the third straight year for Talisay to win the title, and its sixth championship trophy overall.

Carcar City Division finished second, followed by Tribu Malipayon of Consolacion (3rd), Sining Sto. Niño Folkloric Troupe of the City of Bogo (4th), and Tribu Ginatilan (5th).

Marvey Caño, Talisay's choreographer, said the group won the coveted award in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Talisay City won P350,000 for the first prize in ritual showdown, P50,000 for Best in Musicality, and another P50,000 for Best in Street Dancing.

This year, the group's concept revolved around the need for people to continue to pray for their departed loved ones for them to be purified of their sins and enjoy heaven.

Talisay dancers changed costumes three times from purple to gray to blue and light blue.

The judges, however, revealed that they were not unanimous in the decision.

Rodel Fronda, chairman of the board of judges, congratulated the choreographers of Sinulog contingents for never running out of ideas and concepts every year.

“We've looked for the dance per se because Sinulog is a dance offering, and it's not just about the props and costumes,” he told reporters.

The judges agreed that contingents should focus more on the dance presentation and everything about the presentation of concept, proper handling of props, choreography, and proper color combination will follow.

They said that ritual and veneration to the Holy Child as told in every performance is also important, along with relevance of the props, better transition to present the concept and the story, originality of the dance steps, and the consistency of the performance from start to end.

Caño said Talisay City's contingent will alter some portions of their routine for a fresh presentation during the Sinulog Grand Parade on January 20.

He added that their dance this year is a sort of tribute to their group's dance master, who passed away last year, a risky theme, according to the judges, that still worked.

Carcar City's theme was about the life of a prisoner seeking guidance from Santo Niño.

Kathryn Estenzo, choreographer of Carcar City, said their 98 dancers and 45 musicians rehearsed for two months.

Tribu Malipayon of Consolacion's performance centered on a story of folks invaded by bad elements, saved later by the Holy Child, according to assistant choreographer Gerold dela Peña.

Dela Peña said they practiced for more than two months, adding that the overall production cost reached P8 million.

One of the wellapplauded performances yesterday was that of Sining Sto. Niño Folkloric Troupe, Bogo City, whose routine brought to light the tendency of today's youth to be engrossed in gadgets, forgetting the attitude of prayerfulness.

Huge props of this contingent included telephones, cell phones, and a wifi icon. The estimated cost of Bogo's production was P8 million. It had 100 dancers who had been rehearsing since August last year.

The fifth placer, Tribu Ginatilan, presented the beauty of the seas and the responsibility of the people to preserve the bodies of water.

OTHER AWARDS

Winners for Best in Musicality were: Talisay City (1st; P50,000); Carcar City Division (2nd; P30,000); Tribu Malipayon – Consolacion (3rd; P20,000); Sining Sto. Niño Folkloric Troupe of the City of Bogo (4th; P15,000); and Tribu Ginatilan (5th; P10,000).

Carcar City Division, whose dancers changed costume twice from light maroon to white and red, won Best in Costume with P50,000 cash prize.

For the street dancing, other winners were Carcar City Division (2nd; P30,000) and Tribu Malipayon of Consolacion (3rd; P20,000).

ASSESSMENT

Cebu City Councilor David Tumulak, chairman of the Sinulog Foundation Inc.-Executive Committee, thanked all the participating contingents for joining this year's competition.

He said all tickets inside the 7,000 to 8,000-capacity grandstand of the Cebu City Sports Center were sold out as of 3:30 p.m.