CEBU CITY, Philippines — As holding the Sinulog 2023 in an entirely new location poses a big challenge in terms of logistics, Sinulog Foundation Inc. (SFI) Executive Director Elmer “Jojo” Labella said planning activities involving the creation of a stage, bleachers, and portable restrooms, among others, had already started.
Initially, organizers of the Sinulog 2023 are planning to put up a 400-square meter stage in a vacant lot at South Road Properties (SRP), the same area where the “UniTeam BBM-Sara” grand rally was held last April this year.
Labella, however, clarified that these were still initial plans and could still be changed along the way.
“This would be a big infrastructure challenge also…a 400-square meter stage ang usual, almost the same (as that of the Cebu City Sports Center) ang iconstruct…It should be something that’s really safe,” he said.
Labella also said that they intended to build seven to 12 big bleachers to accommodate the audience and spectators. As of now, the SFI and the SRP management were still in the process of designing the stage and bleachers.
“Even the shade, the sheltering, the control of the heat of bleachers is also being considered. Even kini bitawng mga banderitas (even the banderitas), it will help kung imo g’yod ning bagaon (it would help if it you would make it thick), but of course, we also have to consider the aesthetics and (how the) SRP would look like,” he said.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama announced last Monday, Oct. 3, 2022, the final venue for the Sinulog 2023 festivities at the SRP.
READ: Sinulog 2023 venue, the SRP, is final — Rama
Rama’s administration also introduced a new branding for the Sinulog in 2023 dubbed the “One Cebu Island Sinulog 2023 at SRP World Tent City,” wherein the Cebu City government collaborated with the Cebu Provincial government and the cities of Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue City.
Meanwhile, Labella said a shorter grand parade route would also be expected for the Sinulog next year. Instead of the usual five kilometers, the parade route initially proposed will just be around two kilometers.
“There will be an assembly point also for all the contingents near the SM Seaside and the grand parade will be going through the main road of SRP then going to where the stage of the BBM rally was done then make a turn back to where it…there will still be (sort of a) carousel because that’s what has been conceptualized by the mayor ever since, so there will be no stop to the dancing,” he said.
“We will still have the same format. The start will be the same except that there will be new management of the route as planned,” he added.
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