‘All for His glory’

Dancers from Mabolo National High School who will join Tribu Mabolokon perform during the Sinulog presentation at the Cebu City Sports center.
CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA

Tribu Mabolokon dedicates farming dance to Sto. Niño

The Tribu Mabolokon dancers of Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City are known for their signature “nganga” (open-jaw) expression sported during their Sinulog dance performances.

Behind that facial expression lie the quiet determination and prayerful attitude of its performers like Myriame Pador.

The 18-year-old Pador, who had been dancing in the Sinulog Grand Parade for the last six years, said she joins the annual competition as her way to thank the Sto. Niño who continually inspires her to do her best for Him.

“Halad ni nako sa Sto. Niño kay bisan naka-experience mi karon og kalisod, naa ra siya. Kahibaw ko malipay siya sa akong pagsayaw (This is my offering to Sto. Niño because even if I experience hardship, he is there. I know he will be happy with my dancing),” Pador said.

Pador, a grade 10 student at the Mabolo National High School, said an accident last year gave her more reason to be thankful to the Sto. Niño.

Unharmed

In March, she was hit by a multicab while crossing Juan Luna Avenue.

The vehicle hit her left arm and she was rushed unconscious by the motorist to the nearest hospital. She was unharmed.

“I underwent laboratory tests because I coughed up blood. That’s why I am thankful to the Sto. Niño since I was unharmed and the results were good,” Pador said in Cebuano.

She said she was then carrying a consent form which she wanted to give to her parents so she could join the Sinulog sa Barangay.

The fifth of eight children, Pador attends classes during the day and helps her mother sells snacks at the St. Joseph Church across the public gym in the afternoon.

At night she and more than 80 dancers had been practicing at the gym since November last year.

Challenges

“It’s about how we balance our time. We have time for important things but we also have to give some for God. Praying is very important to me, that is my weapon to overcome the challenges our family faced,” Pador said.

Tribo Mabolokon is joining this year’s Sinulog sa Barangay scheduled on January 14, a Sunday, for the ninth time.

They also intend to compete in the grand parade scheduled on January 21.

Choreographer Maximo Custodio said the theme for this year’s dance is farming and how the Sto. Niño is the source of all blessings, including a bountiful harvest for farmers.

Blessings

“We hope to help in promoting the country’s culture through our dance offering for the Child Jesus, as He is the source of the blessings we have received since then,” Custodio said.

Custodio said they will continue to wear their open-jaw expression while they dance the Sinulog to express their joy and gratitude for the blessings received from the Sto. Niño.

With seven major awards under their belt in the past nine years, Custodio said they are still aiming for the top.

Mabolokon came from the barangay’s name that was derived from fruit-bearing trees that used to grow in the area.

Sacrifices

Custodio, a teacher at the Mabolo Elementary School, said it took them four months to recruit their dancers.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña prohibited public school pupils and students to join the Sinulog dance performances since they practice even during school hours and late at night.

Custodio said they also had to make do with a smaller budget since City Hall will only allocate the P300,000 subsidy after the Sinulog event.

Custodio said donors helped them with their budget and he also used his own salary and bonuses to buy the materials for the costumes.

Despite these difficulties, Custodio and Pador are looking forward to this year’s parade.

“This is our way of giving back to Him. We have to make some sacrifices, I even filed for a one-month leave to focus on the preparations. But it’s nothing compared to our personal experiences of His provident and generous love,” Custodio said.