News that Cebuano choreographer Val Sandiego will lead some 6 million Filipino Catholics in dancing the Sinulog at Manila’s Rizal Park (formerly known as Luneta) for the last event of the papal visit should put an end to Mayor Michael Rama’s wish that Pope Francis will include Cebu City in his official itinerary when he visits the Philippines in January next year. Wan-a gyuy chance nga mobisita ang Santo Papa sa Sugbo.
Cebu City is not included in the papal schedule but this development clearly states that Pope Francis cannot deny the importance of his presence in the annual Sinulog festival, a huge cultural tradition not just for many Filipinos. The pope cannot also ignore the great religious milestone to be marked by the first Catholic Order in the Philippines. Next year, the Augustinians in Cebu will mark the congregation’s 450th year of the finding and keeping of the Santo Niño de Cebu.
Bringing the Sinulog to Manila as part of the official program is an inspired initiative of making Pope Francis take part in the religious and cultural celebration. This is a brilliant idea, one that virtually enables the Pope to be united with millions of people in the celebration. And for this to happen without significantly upsetting the original schedule is the work of Divine Providence. To do so would mean canceling earlier commitments to meet with certain individuals and groups.
I think this is also an outstanding idea of bringing the celebration to the capital city and environs. Many people I know want to come to Cebu City for the Sinulog festival but can’t because of financial constraints. Those who have resources often balk at the prospect of monstrous traffic, not to mention lack of accommodations.
Music from provincial Catholic schools will also play during the mass of Pope Francis in Rizal Park.
According to the Catholic in Asia website which is managed by my former boss at the Philippine bureau of the Union of Catholic Asian News (UCAN) NJ Viehland, members of the Christ the King Youth Symphony Orchestra (CKC-YSO) based in Calbayog City will be playing with a symphony orchestra during the papal mass on January 18.
NJ who now writes for the National Catholic Register reported that the CKC YSO is composed of high school & college students of the pioneer Catholic educational institution in Samar and Leyte. These young musicians must all be very excited to rehearse with the official choir in the second week and third week of January next year.
The importance given to the Samar choir can be understood by Pope Francis’ desire to be in solidarity with the victims of the tragic calamities that visited our country, Haiyan in November 2013 and Hagupit in December 2014. The central islands bore the brunt of these tragedies, especially Haiyan which made its first landfall in Samar.
The Christ the King College Youth Symphony Orchestra maybe promdi (slang for village or provincial) but it has earned recognition for its musicality and social outreach that have changed many lives.
In the Catholic in Asia website, CKC-YSO coordinator Carl Jaimie Bordeos noted that it was Archbishop Jose Palma of Cebu who conceptualized the idea of a youth symphony orchestra when he was still Bishop of Calbayog in 2005.
CKC then led by Fr. Frisco Pajes, OFM enabled the young musicians of Calbayog to organize and train under the baton of Fr. Marlowe Rosales, OFM. The musical instruments were sourced through the efforts of Calbayog natives based in the United States. The CKC YSO was finally inaugurated during the Solemnity of Christ the King on Nov. 25, 2007. Some local parishioners may be familiar with Fr. Rosales because in 2003 he was assigned in Cebu’s San Vicente Parish as parochial vicar.
In sum, physical restrictions on the official itinerary will not prevent the Pope from virtually visiting the places devastated by recent calamities. The gift of dance and music courtesy of the people from the provinces badly battered by the tragedies certainly speaks a lot of the Filipinos’ faith and resilience.