History
“Pit Senyor kang Mama kini, Pit
Senyor kang Papa kini..” is the chant completing devotees’ offering dance of
Sinulog in honor of the miraculous Santo NiNo.
A pageantry of faith, a festival
held in honor of the Santo Nino, celebrating the origin of the island of
Cebu–this is Sinulog.
Sinulog is a dance ritual in honor
of the miraculous image of the Santo NiNo. The dance moves two steps forward
and one step backward to the sound of the drums. This movement resembles the
current (Sulog) of what was known as Cebu’s Pahina River. Thus, in Cebuano,
it’s Sinulog.
Historians
say that Sinulog is the link between the country’s pagan past and its Christian
present.
Historical accounts say before
Portuguese navigator came to Cebu on April 7, 1521 to plant the cross on its
shore and claim the country for the King of Spain, Sinulog was already danced
by the natives in honor of their wooden idols and anitos.
Then Magellan came and introduced
Christianity. He gave the Santo NiNo (image of the Child Jesus) as baptismal
gift to Hara Amihan, wife of Cebu’s Rajah Humabon who was later named Queen
Juana. At that time, not only the rulers were baptized but also about 800 of
their subjects.
However, shortly after the
conversion, Magellan died in an encounter with the reigning ruler of Mactan,
Rajah Lapu-lapu, on April 27, 1521.What remained of Magellan’s men were able to
return to Spain to report the incidentt. It took 44 years before a new group
came and started formal Christianization of the islands. Miguel Lopez de
Legaspi arrived in Cebu on April 28, 1565. His ships bombarded the village and
in one of the burning huts, one of his soldiers named Juan Camus found inside a
wooden box the image of the Santo NiNo lying side by side with native idols.
Historians now say that during the
44 years between the coming of Magellan and Legaspi, the natives continued to
dance the Sinulog. This time, however, they danced it no longer to worship
their native idols but as a sign of reverence to the Santo NiNo which is now
enshrined at the San Agustin Church (renamed Basilica Minore del Santo Nino).
Through the years since 1521, the
dance was a small ritual by a few in front of wooden idols or before the Santo
Nino. In fact, at the Santo Nino church where the image is consecrated, only
the candle vendors could be seen dancing the Sinulog and making offerings.
During the Santo Nino fiesta, which
falls on the third Sunday of January, children dressed in moro-moro costumes
also dance the Sinulog. This was really no big event for Cebu City.
In 1980, however, David S. Odilao,
Jr., then Regional Director of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development
(MYSD), organized the first ever Sinulog parade. He gathered a group of
students, dressed them up, taught them how to dance the Sinulog to the beating
of the drums. It was a small parade really which went just around the Basilica,
but it caught the imagination of the City of Cebu, which then thought of making
the Sinulog a festival that would rival all other festivals being held yearly
in the country.
Thus, under the direction of then
Cebu City Mayor Florentino S. Solon, the Sinulog organization came into being.
The first task of the organizing committee was how to conceptualize the
festival and make it a big event.
In 1980, the local government had a
grand and lucrative idea. The Sinulog fiesta at the time was an affair of local
color. Held at the Basilica del Santo NiNo, the feast-featured sinulog dancing
performed by various groups to fulfill religious obligations. On the third
Sunday of January each year, besides the faithful who joined the Sinulog to
fulfill a panaad, the event began to attract an increasing number of tourists.
The Cebu City government thus
planned to expand the Santo Nino feast celebration and bring this small,
regional event to national prominence. In addition, there was an interest in
preserving and promoting sinulog dancing as an example of the ” real and
unique” Cebuano culture.
After the first year under the
direction of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, the Sinulog parade
Was turned over to the mayor’s office which promptly exploited the commercial
possibilities of the festival. Trade fairs, art exhibits, a film festival, and
pop music events were added to the gravy train.
Sinulog ’81 was then organized.
Practically all sectors in the Cebuano community got involved. To distinguish
the festival from the popular Ati-Atihan Festival in Aklan, the organizers
decided to use the parade to depict the history of the Sinulog, which, as had
been said, is the dance which links the country’s pagan past and Christian
present. Seven floats were created to depict seven different periods of
history. Each float were followed by dancers wearing costumes depicting the
periods.
They all danced the same beat the
Sinulog parade started at 1 P.M. at the Cebu Provincial Capitol and ended about
midnight at Fort San Pedro-Plaza Independencia area. And the show continued
until the wee hours of the morning.
Philippines Holidays
When Is Sinulog 2013? Sinulog Festival (Grand Street Dance Parade) falls on 20 January, 2013.
In the Cebuano dialect, the word sulog, where Sinulog comes from,
describes the motion of water. This flowing movement is mirrored in the
Sinulog dance which characterizes the festival.The central theme of the Sinulog festival is the child Jesus, more popularly known as the Santo Niño. The festival is held annually to pay tribute to the Santo Niño, which most people consider as the patron saint of Cebu. Tourists, both local and foreign, flock to the city of Cebu every third Sunday of January to witness this one of a kind event. Streets are packed with viewers and performers alike, dancing to the blare of trumpets, the beating of drums and the sweet, melancholic sound of native metallic gongs. This celebration of dance is to signify the acceptance of the people of the Christian faith and the shedding of their pagan beliefs. While the main celebration is held in Cebu city, there are also smaller, similar festivities in the surrounding provinces. While smaller in scale, the mini festivities are just as impressive. 
Sinulog dancers wear colorful outfits. Photo by MaRiViC
Apart from the dancing, another highlight of the event is the food to be
had. Streets are peppered with food stalls and hawkers that entice you
to sample their unique and indigenous wares. Not to be discounted are
the numerous “Cebu lechon” stalls that the city is also famous for.
Various trade fairs are also held during the festival to promote other
quality export products from the city such as its world famous dried
mangoes. The trade fairs also display indigenous goods that are not food
such as hand-woven baskets and bags.
Although originally intended to be a festivity to enhance one’s
religiousness, the Sinulog festival has transformed to one of the most
awaited happenings in the country for several other reasons. Families
are excited to witness the parades and spend quality time with each
other while younger people save up to be able to come to Cebu because it
is said that no night life in any other district could match the fervor
and bliss that could be had in the city during Sinulog.
Little Santo Niños. Photo by Dee
Pageants and Other Contests
Various beauty pageants are also made to coincide with the Sinulog
festival in hopes of capturing a much bigger audience. Most prominent of
these pageants is the Miss Cebu pageant which presents to the entire
world the renowned Cebuana beauty of the region’s women. While Filipinas
have a reputation to be the most alluring and exotic in the world,
Cebuanas are said to be the best of the Filipinas. Most foreigners
eagerly await the coronation of the winners of the pageant every time
they come for the Sinulog festival.
Sinulog Pageant Winner. Photo by Roy Chan
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