Delegation from Wonju in South Korea to skip Sinulog 2021

Lumad Tribu Basakanon wins 3rd place overall in South Korea’s Wonju Dynamic Dancing Carnival. The group also won as the top international team in the five-day competition. (Ricky Ballesteros FB)

Mandaue City, Cebu–A delegation from the Wonju Dynamic Dancing Carnival in South Korea that has been sending performers to Cebu City in the last three years has opted to skip this year’s festival because of the pandemic.

Ricky Ballesteros, former SFI executive director, said that the SFI extended an invitation for Wonju Dymanic to join the festival and asked them to send a pre-recorded performance but Wonju City officials have declined, citing the “dangers” of the the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

SFI sent a letter that was signed by Vice Mayor Michael Rama, who is also the over all convener of this year’s celebration, on December 28, 2020 to Wonju City Mayor Won Chang-Muk.

Related story: Talisay backs out from Sinulog 2021

Rama invited Wonju City to prepare a canned “halad” for this year’s festival.

“With the onset of this current worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 the City Government and the Sinulog Foundation sees the imperative need that we comply with the minimum health protocols and guidelines for public order and safety to ensure that we finally flatten the curve and win victoriously against this pandemic, balancing the more equal need to slowly restart our economy and uphold the great and proud Cebuano tradition,” Rama’s letter reads.

But Juhnyung Ha, the head of the Wonju’s Culture and Foreign Affairs, sent word to Ballesteros, whom SFI tasked to make follow ups of their invitation for the Korean delegation, that they will have to beg off joining this year’s festival.

“I have received a call from the city hall that unfortunately, it is impossible at the mayor’s position in the current coronavirus situation.  It is not possible to take any action with a bright atmosphere in the context of the ongoing corona infection on the citizens of Wonju.”

Wonju is known for its dancing carnival.

Cebu City’s Lumad Basakanon wowed South Koreans after they won 3rd place in South Korea’s Wonju Dynamic Dancing Carnival in 2017.

Ballesteros, who is a sonsistent international judge in the dance carnival and resource speaker da Asian Parade Network Forum, also brought Tangub City and La Castellana to compete in South Korea in 2019.  Both also won in their respective categories.

/bmjo