Banay Labangon has won the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Dakbayan 2019 with their concept of putting Señor Sto. Niño at the center of the life of every Filipino family. They brought home P350,000 cash and will be competing in the Sinulog Based Category on the Grand Sinulog celebration on Sunday, January 20. CDN Digital file photo/ Marc Eric Cosep
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Sinulog Governing Board has convened for the first time on Thursday evening, October 24, 2019, and has decided to make some changes in the Sinulog 2020.
The Sinulog Governing Board will be bringing back the Binibining Cebu pageant for 2020, allow the major television networks in the country to conduct concerts in the city during the festival, conduct drum and bugle contests, a market fair, a tattoo conference, and a vlogging contest.
Read more: Sinulog Governing Board will not interfere with SFI functions —Labella
Mayor Edgardo Labella led the meeting on Wednesday night, which was also attended by the members of the Sinulog Governing Board including Sinulog Foundation Incorporated (SFI) President Pericles Dakay.
The mayor said these activities had already been approved by the SFI, and they would be implemented for Sinulog 2020 for a “grander” festival.
“That has been adapted already by the Sinulog Foundation. It was voted by the Sinulog Governing Board. In other words, the Sinulog Board agreed with the SFI,” said Labella.
He said the goal of the city for Sinulog would be to be inclusive and to make it a fun-for-all activity.
Notably absent in the meeting is Vice Mayor Michael “Mike” Rama, who is the chairman of the SFI.
Labella said they invited SFI and the foundation sent their President.
Rama told the media that he did not receive an invitation, which was contrary to their agreement with the mayor, who promised he would be part of the Sinulog Board.
The vice mayor said he could not force the mayor to make him part of the Sinulog Board, but he assured that they would work in “synergy.”
His only request was that the SFI would be allowed to run its course in the Sinulog without the board trying to control the festival too much because he said ‘too many cooks spoil the food.’
Yet contrary to what Labella said, Rama said that the activities agreed upon by the Sinulog Board meeting on Thursday night was not actually final.
“Those are just proposals that is subject to review for the SFI,” said Rama.
In particular, Rama did not agree with the Sinulog Board replacing the Sinulog Short Film Fest with the Vlogging contest especially after many of the young film students in Cebu aired their concerns regarding the contest.
Rama said the Board should not take away the short film contest because it had been there for many years and helped young artists to have an avenue for their films.
Labella, for his part, said it was the decision of the SFI to change the film contest, and the Board agreed on it.
Rama said he would like the short film fest to remain and would raise the concern to SFI to heed the request of the young filmmakers.
The vice mayor said he would work together with Sinulog Board, yet Labella and Rama do not see eye-to-eye on some activities for the Sinulog.
It is only three months before the Sinulog 2020 activities and the Sinulog Board and SFI have yet to declare a unified stand on the Sinulog festivities. /dbs