For better or for worse: The ‘old’ Sinulog is back

For better or for worse: the ‘old’ Sinulog is back

An aerial view of Fuente Osmeña Circle on Sunday, January 19, as the city government brought the Sinulog Festival back at its original venue – in downtown Cebu City. | Photo from Office of Civil Defense – Central Visayas

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Colorful floats, excited spectators, vendors who were eager to earn, and giddy performers – common sights of the Sinulog Festival –  finally returned to its original venue on Sunday, January 19.

But so does the familiar chaos—the crush of revelers, the stifling heat, and the unruly crowd— swept up in the celebration.

The old Sinulog, in all its glory and madness, was undeniably back.

READ: LIST: Sinulog Festival 2025 winners

After spending two years at the South Road Properties (SRP), one of the Philippines’ grandest and largest festival returned to its original venue – at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC).

Many celebrated the Sinulog’s comeback at mainland Cebu City, citing the huge turnout of visitors and contingents for the Ritual Showdown and the Street Dance competition.

However, some urged organizers to address old challenges – lack of crowd control, logistical mishaps, and significant delays during the Grand Parade – which also resurfaced during last Sunday’s festivities.

4 million

Over 4 million people flocked to downtown Cebu City to witness the celebration’s culmination at CCSC and its surrounding areas, police said.

It was a bigger turnout compared to those in the past two years when the festivities were held at SRP.

Despite the huge crowd, there were no major untoward incidents reported and that the event was generally peaceful, according to Police Lieutenant Colonel Maria Theresa Macatangay, deputy director for operations at the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO).

For his part, Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia called it a success, adding that they made the right decision to have the Sinulog Festival back to its original venue.

In an interview with CDN Digital on Sunday, the mayor cited that to have the Sinulog return to mainland Cebu City “made a huge difference.”

The Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) during the Ritual Showdown of the Sinulog Festival 2025 on January 19, 2025. | Photo by Emmariel Ares

“Makita nimo sa mg tawo – you don’t have to ask me – you ask the people around who are here. Ang vibe sa Sinulog nibalik na. Festive na kaayo ang mood, fiesta na kaayo ang atmosphere. It’s so much different compared to the previous years and I have the Señor. Sto. Niño to thank,” Garcia told CDN Digital.

Elmer Labella, executive director of the Sinulog Foundation Inc. (SFI), also shared the same sentiment.

“Despite the delay, it was a really successful event,” Labella told reporters in a separate interview.

The Sinulog this year also saw its largest number of participants – at 132 – since 2019. Of this number, 45 happened to be performing contingents coming from different parts of the country.

SFI, the lead organizer of the Sinulog Festival, welcomed 11 out-of-town contingents, including performers from Bais City who, along with Cebu’s Carcar City, emerged as the biggest winner during Sunday’s competition.

Lack of crowd control

Old problems related to the Sinulog also reemerged during Sunday’s celebration, with crowd control as the most pressing concern.

In fact, three Cebu City-based contingents had to withdraw from the Street Dance competition citing safety concerns for their performers.

 

They are the Banauan Cultural Group of Brgy. Guadalupe, Barrio Basak Pardo of Brgy. Basak Pardo, and Kalunasan Cultural Dance Troupe of Brgy. Kalunasan.

All three groups pointed to the lack of crowd control along the Grand Parade’s carousel route as the reason why they decided not to proceed with the contest.

 

Sought for his comments, Labella said they will take this development into consideration in future Sinulogs.

Garcia, in a follow-up press conference on Monday, January 20, also acknowledged these concerns, and vowed that they will find ways to ensure that all contingents are able to perform.

“We will find ways to ensure everyone can perform next year, even if it means making adjustments,” he said.

Moreover, the CCPO had to intervene when a bottleneck formed at the exit gate of the CCSC. The culprit was still insufficient crowd control measures.

In turn, the Grand Parade as well as the Ritual Showdown inside suffered significant delays.

The Parade was scheduled to finish around 5 p.m. but the contest lasted until 10 p.m. – or five hours more. The Ritual Showdown began on time but ended around 11:30 p.m.

According to Macatangay, the deployment of marshals by SFI to manage the traffic flow at the CCSC could have prevented the problem.

To address these concerns, Garcia on Monday considered limiting the number of participants for the Sinulog.

Other old Sinulog problems that reemerged during Sunday’s festivities included the unruly crowd along Juana Osmeña Street, which had gained an unsavory reputation for rowdy partygoers every Sinulog.

Policemen formed a human barricade along Juana Osmeña Street on Sunday night, January 19, as a huge crowd occupied the area. This part of Cebu City is a popular hotspot for partygoers and nightlife enthusiasts. | Photo by Mark Bandolon

The police even had to form a human barricade to prevent more people from entering into the narrow, two-lane road.

Sinulog 2026 still at Abellana?

But despite all these, many wanted the Sinulog to stay in mainland Cebu City instead at the SRP, based on an unofficial poll CDN Digital mounted on its social media channels.

 

Facebook user MA Sevilla wrote that she preferred to have the festivities at Abellana, the other name for CCSC.

“Kay ma feel gyud nimo fiesta gyud. grabi ka sadya,” she said.

Other netizens, like Facebook user Geenaa Bonivie, said she wanted Sinulog back at SRP, citing growing number of tourists joining the festival.

During his closing speech last Sunday, Garcia announced that the Sinulog Festival 2026 will remain at its original venue – the CCSC.

“This year was a learning experience. Next year, we’ll have changes and improvements to ensure the festival continues to grow and thrive,” he said.

Read more...