2-in-1 celebration of Christianity
Giant TV monitors to show live feed during grand parade
People attending the Sinulog grand parade in Cebu City will not miss the highlights of Pope Francis’ visit to the country next year, the event’s organizers said.
Ricky Ballesteros, executive director of the Sinulog Foundation, said they plan to show live feed of the television coverage of the pope’s visit during lulls in the grand parade and during the hour-long lunch break.
“It’s going to be a very religious and historic event. The Sinulog will very well complement with the pope’s visit. We do not have to compete because the pope’s visit and the Sinulog are both a celebration of faith,” he told Cebu Daily News yesterday.
Ballesteros said Sinulog organizers plan to put up giant LED screen monitors where live images of the pope’s visit would be shown.
“With the technology that we have now, everything is possible,” he said.
Pope Francis is scheduled to arrive in the country on Jan. 15 for a 5-day visit. The pontiff is set to go to Tacloban City – the ground zero of supertyphoon Yolanda – and Palo in Leyte on January 17 and will highlight his visit with a pontifical Mass on Jan. 18, Sunday, which is also the day of the Sinulog grand parade.
The Pope will be addressing a youth gathering at the University of Sto. Tomas in Manila in the morning before celebrating Mass at the Rizal Park at 3 p.m.
Ballesteros said he has been getting inquiries whether the Sinulog would still push through considering the pope’s visit.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, overall chairman of the Sinulog celebration, said as far as he is concerned, there is no stopping the annual fiesta señor and the grand parade.
“Kadaku ug problema ana if we move it to another date,” he said.
Rama however, admitted that the matter would still be up to the Augustinian priests to decide
“As of now, lisud mo comment when wala sad ta kahibaw how definitive and how possible ang adjustments,” the mayor said.
Common Theme
Sinulog organizers are working closely with the Augustinian priests in preparing for the Sinulog.
Ballesteros said 2015 will already be the 35th year of the Sinulog. The celebration will coincide with the Basilica’s 50th anniversary and the 450th anniversary of the Augustinian Order’s stay in the country and the 450th founding of the Kaplag.
The four celebrations will carry the theme “Sto. Niño, hope of the people.”
The 2015 Sinulog festivity will kick off on January 9. The grand parade is scheduled on January 18, a day after the Sto. Niño feast day and fluvial procession.
Ballesteros is confident that the grand parade will continue to draw hundreds of spectators even if the annual festival coincides with the pope visit.
He said that this early, most of the hotels in the city are already booked for the festivity while chartered flights are now being arranged by the Balik Cebu Committee.
“We are expecting balikbayans and several foreign guests kay panata na man na nila,” he said.
Ballesteros said that while there is less possibility that the pope would drop by Cebu, his knowledge of the Sinulog may eventually change his mind.
Even if Pope Francis does not come to Cebu, having the festival timed with his visit is expected to give it the added international exposure that it needs.
“If the pope is unable to watch it this year, maybe he will watch when he comes back for the International Eucharistic Congess in 2016,” said Ballesteros.