Growing up with Sinulog

The Sinulog grand parade holds a special place in the hearts of Cebuanos, especially for those of us who were children in the 1980’s, when the grand festivity first came to life. Our generation has witnessed the growth of Sinulog in tandem with our own development, evolving from small children to teenagers, then through college, and into our early professional lives.

As a child, an unforgettable experience I had during Sinulog was being on top of my father's shoulders as we watched the street dancing in front of what was then the White Gold Superstore, beside the White Gold House. Back then, there were no malls as we know them now.

The Sinulog grand parade and street dancing changed its route and main staging area every now and then, but it was all within the city proper and always involved the historic downtown area. Likewise etched in my memory was when Amity Travel, a travel agency managed by my aunt, entered a float in the parade, and our family was able to ride on it.

During my teenage years, Sinulog became an opportunity for us high school students to bond in the spirit of our youthful street adventures --of course, after attending the Holy Mass. As our hormones surged, there were exciting meetups with crushes, and young boys and girls shared banter and good food. The parade's rhythm and the beat of the drums echoed throughout the day, as we moved in and out of malls, watching the parade, and hanging out.

When we reached college, Sinulog meant indulging in a few drinks and grilled food along the sidewalk of the parade route or a few blocks down, where the parade sounds still reached us. The party lasted all night and into early dawn.

But the best was yet to come, and it occurred during my second year of college, coinciding with the last year of the mandatory two-year ROTC program in the 1990s. As an ROTC cadet, I was among those assigned to guard the rope cordon that separated the crowd of spectators from the parade contingents. In other words, I had a front-row view of the entire event. Guarding the parade route wasn't too difficult, considering the good-natured and cooperative behavior of the Sinulog crowd.

It was in the early 2010’s when I stopped watching the Sinulog grand parade. Perhaps this sentiment is common among many in Cebu, as my friends also feel the same; the choreography had become predictable, street parties rowdy, and the event itself had grown too large and commercialized, losing some of its small community charm. I couldn't fully blame the organizers, though. Events naturally evolve alongside the growth of their host localities, and by that time, Metro Cebu had developed into a large, unplanned chaotic sprawl, marked by the myriad problems of rapid, unstructured urban expansion.

This year, I actually welcome the pre-Sinulog events which involved more towns and cities on the island. These were the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Dakbayan and Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan, held last Saturday and Sunday, respectively. These events actually helped build up the excitement leading up to the grand celebration on Sunday, January 21, at the South Road Properties (SRP).

Although most people still prefer the venue to be near the comforts of the city center, along major streets with many shops or malls to rest in between viewings, the choice of the SRP as a venue is being accepted with little complaint. People don’t want to spoil the fiesta atmosphere.

Pit Señor!

The choreography had become predictable, street parties rowdy, and the event itself had grown too large and commercialized.”