Sinug sa Casa Gorordo to proceed despite museum’s temporary closure

Carolina Diola, niece of  Estelita “Titang” Diola leads the traditional sinulog dance at the Casa Gorordo. (CDN FILE PHOTO)

In keeping with the traditions of the Gorordo family and the Parian area, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) will continue with the annual “Sinug sa Casa Gorordo” even when the museum is closed for upgrading.

Casa Gorordo Museum is a historic house museum that showcases nineteenth-century Cebuano-Filipino lifestyle, was closed last September 20 to give way for an eight-month upgrading program that will bring the facility to be at par with world-class museology standards.

House traditions, including the Sinug, of the Gorordo family are continued to be celebrated by the museum as part of RAFI’s pledge to conserve aspects of local heritage that contribute to Fiipino cultural identity.

This year, even when the museum is closed and Sinug “beat keeper” Estelita ‘Nang Titang’ Diola (she died March 2013 at age 88) is no longer around, RAFI felt that observing the house tradition should not falter. That is why the original Sinulog dance steps could still be witnessed at 2 p.m. this Monday, January 19, infront of the RAFI Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center building along Lopez Jaena Street in historic Parian.

Sinug is a traditional dance-prayer offered to the Santo Niño de Cebu. Its beat and choreography are different from the popular Sinulog street dance seen during the feast of the Holy Child in Cebu every third Sunday of January.

The more popular Sinulog and Titang’s Sinug differ in many ways. The less known Sinug dance has its own fixed format and its own unique beat and steps not present in the Sinulog, despite the fact that both dances pay homage to the Señor Sto. Niño.

Interestingly, the Sinug does not have a dancing “reyna” who carries the image of the Senyor in the Sinulog. Instead, the icon is placed at an altar facing the dancers.

The dance narrates the coming of Christianity to the Philippines, the conflict between the locals and the Spaniards and eventual peace between the two forces through the intercession of the Sto. Niño.

The Sinug dancers were traditionally invited by the Gorordo family and other Parian families who wished to pray for the souls of their departed loved ones in this special way, on the Monday after the fiesta of the Senyor.

Believing that the dance ritual is worth preserving for the next generations to witness and experience, RAFI, through its Culture & Heritage Unit, has supported the group’s efforts to insure that the Sinug tradition lilves on.

The Sinug dance ritual this Monday would still be performed by the Turang Dance Troupe from Mabolo, Cebu City. The dancers, though, would be led by Carolina Diola and her son Rommel Borja, upon whose shoulders now lie the responsibility of preserving this unique aspect of the Cebuano’s Sinulog heritage.

Titang Diola was able to pass her knowledge of the Sinug to her niece Carolina and nephew Rommel, who are now keeping the tradition. Nang Titang learned the dance steps when she was seven from her father, Buenaventura ‘Turang’ Diola and was taught the beat by Mariano ‘Iklot’ Bontilao.

Aside from the Sinug, the Casa Gorordo Museum continues to carry out its other house traditions like the Kuwaresma Procession, Pista ni San Juan and the displaying of the Gorordo Belen.

The media and the public are encouraged to witness this once-a-year reliving of the original Sinulog. For inquiries, please call May Sanchez at 4187234 loc. 703 or for Rene H. Martel at 418-7234 loc. 407/540./ PR