Tribu Mandauehanon performs during the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan 2024 at the Cebu City Sports Complex, Cebu City./Photo: Sinulog Foundation Inc. FB Page
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – Mandaue City will not be joining the Sinulog Grand Parade and Ritual Showdown at the South Road Properties (SRP) on Sunday, January 21, 2024.
Mayor Jonas Cortes, on Wednesday, January 17, said that the city will instead focus on presenting a performance during the Traslacion on Friday, January 19.
Mandaue City bagged fourth place for the Ritual Showdown at the Sinulog sa Lalawigan held last Sunday, January 14, at the Cebu City Sports Center.
“Kay maluoy sad ta sa atoang mga kabataan, sa atoang mga dancers from sa kato’ng Sinulog sa Lalawigan unya naa sad ang Traslacion, unya inig Domingo apil sad (grand parade). We might as well focus sa Traslacion,” said Cortes.
Cortes added that they are also not sure about participating in Sinulog sa Carmen, held every fourth Sunday of January, because they would need to allocate a budget for it.
Even though the city is not participating in the Sinulog Grand Parade, they will still support Cebu City by deploying the city’s mobile command center, ambulances, and some CDRRMO personnel to help monitor the areas.
For Traslacion on Friday, Cortes said that the city is now ready and will be stationing ambulances along the routes.
The final coordination meeting among the Mandaue City Police Office and other offices and agencies regarding the preparation for the Traslacion was also already conducted, and the security plan is already in place.
St. Joseph joins Fluvial Procession
Mandaue City’s National Shrine of St. Joseph is also prepared for the Traslacion.
This would also be the first time that the image of St. Joseph will join the images of Sto. Niño and Our Lady of Guadalupe during the fluvial procession on January 20.
Typically, St. Joseph remains at the National Shrine of St. Joseph, while only the two images travel from Cebu City to the Parish in Mandaue.
They stay for a day before being transferred to the Nuestra Señora De Regla National Shrine in Lapu-Lapu City at 12 a.m. on Saturday, followed by the fluvial procession on Saturday morning.
“Nalipay mi kay gi-grant nila ang amoang hangyo. Nalipay kaayo mi. Significant kaayo ni, mugna sa year of St. Joseph, kuyog na gyud ang Sagrada Familia. At least in modality ba, labi na sa atoang time ron nga peligro ang pamilya, at least karun naa si St. Joseph, buo na gyud sila,” said Monsignor Antonio Medida, a member of the team of pastors of the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue City.
Medida said that the image of St. Joseph will also be brought to the Basilica Minore Del Sto. Niño from Pier 1, where the fluvial parade will end.
Then it will be brought back to Mandaue City after a farewell mass at the Basilica on Monday afternoon, Jan. 22.
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