Tribu Katbalaugan is the Street Dancing category winner in this year’s Sinulog 2017 (CDN PHOTO/ JUNJIE MENDOZA, LITO TECSON).
THE Sinulog Foundation Inc. (SFI) will no longer issue tickets to grandstand spectators of next year’s grand parade.
Instead, paying viewers will already be getting ballers equipped with a microchip to gain entrance into the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) where the final judging will be held.
Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak, chairman of the celebration’s executive committee, said the use of ballers is expected to improve security at the grandstand and avoid the proliferation of scalpers.
“All they have to do is wear (the ballers) while they are inside the sports center. Tap it by the entrance,” he said.
Tumulak said spectators can keep their ballers even after the grand parade because this does not deteriorate easily in comparison with the tickets which have been using in the past 37 years.
“The paper tickets can be thrown. This one (baller) can be a souvenir. Also (this is) a part of government’s program on promoting less plastic, being environment friendly,” Tumulak said.
He assured the public that grandstand entry will remain affordable.
Sinulog organizers agreed to retain this year’s ticket prices even with their shift to the use of ballers next year.
Accommodation at the grandstand’s blue section will still be priced at P2,500 per head. The yellow section will be priced P1,200 while tickets for the pink and green sections will priced P1,000.
Payments can be made online or through accredited banks starting next week.
The Sinulog 2018 grand parade is scheduled on January 21.
As of Wednesday, Tumulak said a total of 34 contingents have already registered for the grand parade.