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Garcia eyes changes for future Sinulog if elected mayor in 2025

By: Pia Piquero - Multimedia Reporter - CDN Digital | January 23,2025 - 09:44 AM

Garcia eyes changes for future Sinulog if elected mayor in 2025

Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia told reporters that he wants a stricter and better-planned Sinulog Festival in January 2026. | CDN Photo/ Emmariel Ares

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia hinted at major changes for future Sinulog celebrations should he win the May 2025 midterm election.

He cited lessons learned from this year’s celebration and vowed to address logistical inefficiencies, enhance safety measures, and implement stricter participant guidelines to elevate the festival’s standards.

During the post-Sinulog press conference, Garcia hailed the success of the recently concluded Sinulog Grand Parade. He describes it as the “biggest, grandest, and liveliest” celebration in its history.

The event, which drew over four million attendees was also declared “generally peaceful,” with no significant incidents reported.

“I’m very happy with how the Sinulog turned out. It was generally peaceful and even during the later parts of the event, there were no accidents,” Garcia said.

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However, Garcia acknowledged the logistical challenges posed by the unprecedented crowd size, including congestion along the parade route and delays caused by floats. He said there is a need for structural improvements to address these issues effectively.

He outlined a series of reforms to refine the Sinulog experience. These include implementing stricter regulations for propsmen and dancers, whose numbers reportedly contributed to congestion.

“The number of propsmen caused congestion along the parade route,” Garcia explained.

He added that revisions to guidelines for contingents will be prioritized to improve crowd management and parade flow.

Float management also emerged as a focal point. Garcia noted that mechanical problems with some floats caused delays, prompting plans to enforce size restrictions, deploy on-site mechanics, and station tow trucks along the route.

To ensure a smoother flow and enhance safety, Garcia proposed capping the number of contingents and participants to balance the event’s grandeur with logistical efficiency.

Moreover, the mayor reiterated to hold next year’s Sinulog at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC). However, he acknowledged the possibility of relocating the festival to the larger Cebu City Arena if its scale continues to grow.

Garcia also addressed concerns raised by contingents that withdrew from the street dancing competition, assuring that adjustments would be implemented to accommodate all participants in future editions.

Despite logistical challenges and other setbacks, the mayor expressed satisfaction with the return of Sinulog’s festive atmosphere, which had been disrupted in recent years due to the pandemic.

“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. /clorenciana

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TAGS: Cebu Daily News, cebu news, Sinulog, Sinulog 2025
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