AFTER winning the Free Interpretation (FI) category in last Sunday’s Sinulog, the Lumad Basakanon of barangay Basak San Nicolas in Cebu City has its sights set on the Aliwan Festival in April, this year.
Choreographer Norman Navarro said they intend to join the competition in Pasay City if they receive financial assistance from the Cebu City government.
Navarro said they will need the city’s help especially for transportation of more than 200 dancers, propsmen and instrumentalists to Manila.
“After the Sinulog, we will write the city government to ask for help,” he said.
The Basakanons requested P3 million in financial assistance from the city last year but it was not released after the City Council questioned the use of Pagcor funds for the contingent.
At the time, Councilor Margot Osmeña said that joining the Aliwan Festival did not qualify for Pagcor fund use according to Pagcor guidelines.
“Unlike the Basakanons, Kulturang Placereño will only be dancing in the Sinulog. “(The) Aliwan is purely competition. We dance here as an offering to the Sto. Niño, not to compete,” said Placer Mayor Joshur Judd Lanete II
Lanete brought to Cebu City this year about 900 “dancing pilgrims” from their town as their Sinulog entry.
He said he considers dancing the Sinulog mainly an offering to the Sto. Niño. Aliwan organizers were in Cebu to watch Sunday’s Sinulog and invited the grand prize winners to join the festival in April.
Dolores Suzara, Sinulog project director, said Aliwan invitations are coursed through the Sinulog Foundation Inc.
It is the Sinulog officials who will then recommend a Sinulog winner to participate in the Aliwan.
Victor Cuenco, the choreographer of Placer’s winning SB entry said competing in the Aliwan festival is costly because of the need to transport their performers to Manila.
“Sakto na nga ni apil mi sa Sinulog kay devotion man ning amo (It’s enough for us to join the Sinulog because it is part of our devotion),” he said.