Dancers of Looc Norte National High School of Asturias town celebrate after contest results were announced at the Cebu City Sports Complex. As first prize winners in the SInulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan, they get to perform again on Sunday in the Sinulog Grand Parade. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
First-time entry in Sinulog youth parade tops contest
High school students, dressed as nuns and priests, went on stage waving flags of different nations.
A “Pope Francis” figure in a white cassock waved to the crowd.
These scenes helped Looc Norte National High School in Asturias win first place and a P350,000 cash prize yesterday in the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan secondary division, their first time to join the contest.
The idea of “pag-sugat” as a warm Cebuano welcome for delegates from different countries, was suggested by choreographer Walter Betito in keeping with this year’s theme of the International Eucharistic Congress to be held in Cebu this month.
Danao city had a grand production inspired by Pinoy superheroes like Darna and Captain Barbell, and local folklore.
They showed fairies, elves and a mananangal, with characters playing out a battle between good and evil. At the end of the dance drama, the Sto. Niño emerged as the main hero.
Danao won the elementary school category in the nine-contingent youth parade, one of the highlights of the Sinulog festival week.
Asturias and Danao students will perform again next Sunday, Jan. 17, during the Grand Sinulog Parade where over 80 contingents of floats, dance troupes and higantes will be on display.
Asturias town in west coast Cebu had long dreamed of joining the youth-level Sinulog parade.
They won in their first outing with 100 dancers and about 400 propsmen.
They had long wanted to join the parade contest but never were able to pull the elements together until recently, when they learned that Betito, their former choreographer in Abellana National School in Cebu City was available again.
“This year Abellana will not join because our principal is retiring so we have no entry. When Asturias heard about it they automatically tapped me,” said Betito.
Because of his teaching schedule, students were only able to rehearse during Christmas vacation.
“Dili ma-compensate among daug sa amo-ang nagasto. Pero ang amo lang gyud ang dunggog. Dili nimo kabayran ang dunggog.
(The prize money doesn’t cover the expenses. But our goal was to win. Being in first place is priceless.) Asturias Mayor Allan Adlawan said the P1.2 million budget came from donations of residents and town officials.
The muncipal government would have been funded by their contingent but was stymied by hometown political rivalry.
Student Kathleen Catipay said winning the competition made the sacrifice of rehearsing from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. worth it.
“Worth it kaayo ang mga kadlawn nga practices, (The practice sessions at dawn were worth it),” she said.
Look at those smiles. Student dancers sa Kabataan Mananayaw sa Danao City celebrate after winning first place in the elementary division of the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan 2016 at the Cebu City Sports Center. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
COMEBACK FOR DANAO
Rosalie Pasaol, Danao school division superintendent, savored a second win as comeback champion after their last 2010 victory.
“It’s been a long time since we were in the top 3,” she said Pasaol said everyone stretched their talents – students, teachers, and non-academic personnel in preparations and brainstorming.
“We’re really happy that our local government unit supported us financially,” she said Danao City raised their usual P200,000 to P500,000 subsidy to a budget of about P2.5 million. with