‘Ruby’ survivors to dance in Cebu as thanksgiving

Tribu Himag-ulaw of Placer, Masbate in last year’s Sinulog festival placed second with this entry of playful elements using dwarves, bees and butterflies in the Free Interpretation category. (CDN FILE PHOTO)

Though 2,000 homes were damaged when typhoon Ruby hit Placer town in Masbate province last December, no lives were lost.

Placer Mayor Joshur Judd Lanete II said this miracle was  more than enough reason for them to celebrate and give thanks to the Sto. Niño.

Close to 1,000 residents joined Mayor Lanete in this year’s “pilgrimage” to Cebu City to dance during the Sinulog grand parade this Sunday.

“I never expect to win. I just tell my people to strive and give their best presentation to honor the Sto. Niño.  It is never a competition to us. Halad lang (It’s an offering),” he said.

Lanete said if the town wins again in the competition, that would just be a a bonus. Kulturang Placereño of Placer, Masbate was the grand champion in the 2014 Sinulog-based (SB) category.

Dancers used castanets and hummed the song   “Miligoy de Cebu”,  part of a courtship dance that originated in Consolacion town in northern Cebu.

They brought their own set lighting fixtures  to add life to the production, a first in the Sinulog grand parade.

Placer’s fairyland-themed Free Interpretation entry choreographed by Barry Luche placed second. They had dwarves, a horse-drawn carriage, bees and butterflies dancing atop steel poles.

Ambitious

For this Sunday’s grand parade, Lanete said they would bring their performance to “another level”.

“This is the most ambitious presentation for me. We are taking a lot of risks and I always push them to do even better,” he said, without giving away details.

Placer’s contingent  arrived in Cebu City last Sunday.  Their group includeds 150 teachers who will help with the props.

This is Placer’s seventh time to compete in the Free Interpretation category and the fourth year to send a contingent to compete in the Sinulog-based category.

The entry will be a spiritual and emotional dance to venerate the Holy Child, said the mayor.

He said members of the Lanete family led by Masbate Gov. Rizalina Seachon-Lanete funds  their  SB entry while he shells out his own money to fund their FI contingent.

Out-of-town contingents spend at least P3 million to fund a Sinulog entry.

“It’s really very costly for us because we recycle our costumes and props.  We do this because of our personal devotion.  We’ve had personnel experiences that led to our devotion,” Lanete said.

While others dance the sinulog to ask for blessings, the Masbate troupe dance to express thanksgiving for blessings already received.

And their blessings have not stopped  pouring, he said.

Devastation
Typhoon Ruby, which blew winds of 140 kph to 170 kph, made a  second landfall in Cataingan town, Masbate province on December 7, 2014.

Placer, a second-class municipality, was  devastated by the storm but the mayor said he was happy that all 55,000 residents were alive.

Dance rehearsals  which started in November 2014 were interurpted for about two weeks as families turned their attention to rehabilitation.

When they regrouped shortly before Christmas, they decide to push on with their Sinulog presentation in thanksgiving for their safety.

“Most of them were affected.  Properties were damaged but no lives were lost.  We have to give thanksgiving for that,” said mayor Lanete.