Street Dancing Competition winner. Catbalogan Mayor Stephany Uy-Tan receives the trophy on behalf of the Tribu Katbalaugan contingent for winning the Street Dancing category of the Sinulog Festival. (CDN PHOTO / LITO TECSON)
For the first time since the start of the Sinulog Festival more than 30 years ago, winners of the Sinulog Grand Parade were not able to do a repeat performance.
Incessant rains which started early yesterday morning until yesterday afternoon prompted Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña to cancel the encore performances of the winning contingents.
A short and simple awarding ceremony was still held though inside the gym of the Cebu City Sports Center where the winners received their trophies and later on their cash prizes.
“The dancers really sacrificed, they had to travel, rehearse, perform at the Festival Queen and Sinulog. Forgive me, I had to cancel the presentations of the winners. We don’t want them to get sick. If they get sick, they might not come back next year,” Osmeña said in a speech during the awarding ceremony.
The mayor said this year’s Sinulog was “very successful” and that this was not just because of him but because of all the “unsung heroes” who sacrificed during the entire duration of the festival including volunteers, traffic enforcers, responders and other people.
He also thanked the Muslim community for their support especially leading to the festival where the city and the police force had to prepare and make sure that there are no terrorist activities like bombings happening.
Dolores Suzara
Dolores “Dolly” Suzara, Sinulog Foundation Inc.’s project director, however, was also recognized by Osmeña, who is also the overall chairman of the SFI.
The SFI gave a plaque of recognition to Suzara “in grateful acknowledgment of her invaluable commitment, support and involvement in spearheading the preservation of the Sinulog Festival of Cebu City; which greatly contributed to a meaningful and successful celebration throughout the years.”
Even on a wheelchair, Suzara, 81, attended the ceremony and personally accepted the plaque from Osmeña.
“Thanks to the Sinulog Foundation for their unselfish devotion through the years. Thanks to Dolly Suzara who dedicated her life in helping us and making us what we are now, a showcase for the Philippines to follow,” Osmeña said.
Representatives from the different winning contingents were present to also receive their prizes from the SFI during the activity which lasted for only around one hour.
Grand champions
Minda Regis, Lanao del Norte’s provincial tourism officer and head organizer for their contingent, received the trophy and P1 million cash prize for winning this year’s Free Interpretation (FI) Category, with their theme, the Land of Beauty and Bounty from Lanao del Norte, where they portrayed unity between Muslims and Christians.
Regis said that they were considering not joining the Sinulog Festival next year.
“I think we already showcased everything about our province – the unity of Islam and Christianity, our great sites, our history’s storyline. We gave them everything about Lanao del Norte. So it’s no pressure for us to join next year and defend the title,” Regis stated.
“We’re on our ninth and next year, if we will join Sinulog, it will be our tenth,” said Regis.
She also cited the challenges in their preparations for the Sinulog.
Aside from a tight schedule, Regis said they had spent almost P7 million as the over-all expenses for participating Sinulog 2017 which include on creating their costumes and props, travel costs, food, accommodation, allowances and miscellaneous expenses.
Street Dance champs
Meanwhile, Catbalogan City Mayor Stephany Uy, who received on behalf of Tribu Katbalaugan of Catbalogan City, Samar, their trophy and P1 million cash prize for winning the Street Dancing category and another P700,000 for taking the second spot in the FI category, said they would definitely be back next year.
Winning the Street Dancing category is the first major prize that the contingent won since they joined the festival two years ago.
Aside from that, the Tribu Katbalaugan also bagged the 4th place in the FI category’s Best in Musicality, receiving a cash prize worth P20,000.
“We did our best. The Tribu Katbalaugan members did their best. We accept whatever Señor Santo Niño has given us,” said Uy-Tan, when sought for comment on their wins.
No repeat dances
On yesterday’s no repeat performance for the Sinulog winners, Ballesteros said there were no other enclosed venues that could accommodate the winning contingents to perform with their props.
He initially announced that the repeat performances would push through but they decided later to cancel it for safety reasons.
The SFI has to refund around a hundred spectators who were already able to buy tickets to watch the performances. Tickets are priced at P100.
Ballesteros said it was quite a blow to the foundation considering that the ticket sales for the awarding and encore performances were one of their income generating projects.
In previous years, the awarding ceremony could fill the entire grandstand with a seating capacity of 10,000.
This means an income of between P800,000 to P1 million, Ballesteros said./with a report from Correspondent Morexette Marie Erram