Instead of live street dancing during the Sinulog 2021 Grand Parade which it considers risky, the Cebu City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is instead recommending pre-filmed performances for Cebu’s premier festival. | CDN file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Regional Interagency Task Force in Central Visayas has recommended that there should be no physical activities or actual performances for the Sinulog 2021.
In their Resolution No. 97 Series of 2020, the RIATF-7 stated that all physical and actual performance–based Sinulog Festival activities such as the Ritual Dance Showdown and Street Dance Competition, among others, pose a threat to the performers/participating contingents and the possible crowd that it might draw, thus increasing the risk of transmission.
The agency said that even with limiting the number of performers for each contingent or holding the said activities through a “bubble” concept or even pre–recording the videos of the performances of the performers in their respective places, it will still pose an increasing risk of being infected with COVID–19 and transmitting the virus.
“It still requires the performers to gather and interact during their rehearsals and actual performance for the video recordings and will still likely to draw crowds, which may be difficult to be controlled by the law enforcement agencies due to the limited security personnel,” said the RIATF-7.
With this, the RIATF-7 has recommended to the national IATF to prohibit all performances recorded or not for the Sinulog 2021 to prevent the rise in cases.
Since the Grand Parade at the South Road Properties (SRP) has been canceled, the Sinulog 2021 organizers has decided to prerecord the performances.
However, since the recommendation of the IATF has been clear, the city government will have to look for other ways.
As for Vice Mayor Michael Rama, the overall convenor of the Sinulog 2021, he will wait for the national IATF’s decision.
“Kinahanglan ato nang klarohon ang ilang recommendation kay wala naman sad ta’y SRP. Unsa may ilang gusto?” said Rama.
Until the national IATF has made its decision, Rama said the organizers will hold unto the plan of recording the performances. /rcg