PIA Press Release
Thursday, January 05, 2012

PNoy invited to grace Cebu’s Sinulog Festival

CEBU CITY, January 5 (PIA)-- President Benigno ‘Simeon’ Aquino III has been invited by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama to again witness the Sinulog Festival set next Sunday, January 15 at the Cebu City Sports Complex.

Rama said an invitation has also been sent to Vice President Jejomar Bina.

“But of course, that depends on their schedule. They are always invited to witness how we give honor to the Holy Child Jesus --- Señor Santo Niño --- through the dance performances of the different contingents participating in the grand parade,” Rama said during the regular Kapihan sa PIA that tackled the groundwork preparations of the Sinulog Festival 2012.

Cebu’s Sinulog Festival, dubbed as the mother of all festivals in the country, is a tourist crowd drawer where an upsurge of tourists, both foreign and domestic come to Cebu to participate in the celebration.

A much-awaited event in Cebu every year, the Sinulog is not only a tourism event but “we must also bear in mind that it is a religious celebration as well that also speaks of our spiritual faith to Santo Niño and our cultural history as well,” Rama said

The Sinulog 2012 will kickoff tomorrow starting with a solemn mass at the Basilica del Sto. Niño at 2:00 p.m. followed by a parade from the church down to the Cebu City Sports Complex (CCSC), Ricky Ballesteros, executive director of the Sinulog Foundation, Inc. (SFI) said in the same forum.

Starting tomorrow until January 15, the SFI has organized 10 days of street parties where live bands will be performing at the Fuente Osmeña Rotunda, trade activities, cultural shows and beauty pageant among others.

For the religious activities, the opening salvo was done at 4:30 a.m. with the ‘Walk with Jesus’ solemn procession from Fuente Osmeña to the Basilica del Sto. Niño. Other religious events are the fluvial procession early morning of January 14 and in the afternoon will be the solemn procession.

From January 13 -15, the Cebu City Government has organized the Devotees City to provide shelter to out-of-town poor devotees of the Holy Child Jesus who cannot afford to stay in hotels and pension houses. The number of pilgrims is also increasing every year where from 2009, 1,990 devotees were accommodated which grew to 2,100 last year as more container vans are needed to accommodate a larger number this year, this is learned.

In case Pres. Aquino will confirm his attendance, this will be his second visit to witness the highlight of the Sinulog Festival which is the grand parade.

Aquino was in Cebu last year for the Sinulog event. He was the only President given the honor to deliver a speech before thousands of crowd at the CCSC. The Sinulog Festival has been in existence for 32 years. (PIA-Cebu)