Plaridel ‘surprised’ with Sinulog finish

It was their first time to join the Sinulog Grand Parade and Tribu Subanen of Plaridel, Misamis Occidental went home with the 4th place trophy in the Free Interpretation (FI) category.

Mayor Diego Ty said they joined the Sinulog for thanksgiving and to show their devotion to the Sto. Niño. Winning was already a “bonus,” he said.

“Murag nawala ang among tanang kakapoy (Our fatigue seemingly vanished),” he said. For next year, Ty said they will aim to win the championship.

Not expecting to win, Ty said, they booked a round trip ticket for their contingent consisting of 300 performers.
Their group arrived in Cebu on Jan. 15 and was supposed to return to Plaridel on Monday.

They had to make a last minute cancellation of their trip home to again perform during the Sinulog 2014 awarding ceremony held last Monday afternoon and rebooked their tickets at 1 p.m. today.

“We also want to set up good relations with the city officials of Cebu City through sisterhood affiliation,” Ty said.
He said dancing the Sinulog would give his third class town the exposure they need.

Ty, who went to college in Cebu, also used to work as a casual employee of the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) at Cebu City Hall in 1983. He married a Cebuano but later moved back to Plaridel.

He formed a contingent to join the “Panagsungko Festival” held on Oct. 2013 in Misamis Occidental and won 1st place.

He also thought of bringing his group to Cebu to dance the Sinulog. Their travel was also shouldered by the private sector.

They also used props and costumes from their “Panagsungko Festival” entry in the Sinulog. Dancers from Tribu Subanen showed the way of life of the river dwellers of Plaridel town.

Their presentation showed a child who got sick after playing with a tree inhabited by an evil.
The village residents sought the help of the Sto. Nino and danced in thanksgiving after he was healed.

Female dancers also played bamboo percussion instruments which drew cheers from the crowd. Ty said they will do better in next year’s Sinulog.

He also said he has many things to be thankful for, including his election as mayor in May last year.

Ty brought his dancers to tourism destinations in Cebu City including the Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino and the Magellan’s kiosk for a tour on board borrowed city government buses after their victory.