Face masks a must for Sinulog 2021 ritual showdown participants – former SFI chief

| CDN Digital File Photo 

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu — Since the Sinulog 2021 ritual showdown is being done in the new normal, participants in the event scheduled on January 17 should wear face masks all throughout their performance.

Ricky Ballesteros, former executive director of the Sinulog Foundation Inc. (SFI) and an event organizer, said this during the Sinulog 2021 virtual workshop that was held on Monday, January 4.

Ballesteros also said that the wearing of face masks for participants in the Sinulog 2021 ritual showdown should be a must.

He also encouraged those participants with respiratory concerns to stop this early from joining the practices.

Read: 20 contingents sign up for Sinulog 2021 ritual showdown

He said that since Sinulog performances would include chanting and singing, it would be important for all the performers to wear their face masks as specified in this year’s competition guidelines.

“In guidelines, you are required to wear masks all throughout the performance. Masks are strongly encouraged since you will be raising your voices, chanting, and shouting. Sa katong dili maka agwanta og masks ayaw na lang paapila ninyo kay basin og makuyapan unya sila (For those, who cannot endure wearing face masks, do not let them join because they might faint during the performance),”Ballesteros said during the Sinulog 2021 virtual workshop that was held on Monday.

Ballesteros was the first speaker of the three-day event — the Sinulog 2021 virtual workshop — that was streamed live on the SFI Facebook page.

Festivals Under the New Normal

In his lecture, Ballesteros said that festivals, which he referred to as a “stress relievers” were among those that had been mostly affected by the pandemic.

“With the COVID-19, many festivals in 2020 were cancelled or postponed,” he said.

Read: Rama: We will not cancel Sinulog 2021

However, Ballesteros said the this year’s Sinulog ritual showdown might still push through as scheduled on January 17 but without a physical audience and social media channels would be used.

“Come up with new design, concepts. Let us organize festivals online. We don’t have to stop, we don’t have to give up,” he said.

“Why should we give up culture and tradition. Ang ato lang (What we have to do) is that we have to adapt to the new normal and innovate,” he added.

High Risk Event

While he recognized that the COVID-19 situation in the country remains very volatile and that Sinulog is a very high-risk event, Ballesteros said that this would not be the point to give up.

“Nganong ato man i stop? (Why would we stop it?) We just have to innovate. We don’t have to give up our culture and tradition for over 40 years. All we have to do is to innovate and bring the performances on the internet, on social media,” he said.

Also, Ballesteros said there would be a need for each of the participating contingents to secure their own ranks to make sure that health and safety protocols would be observed during their practices and during the actual performance on the Sinulog 2021 stage at the South Road Properties (SRP).

Read: Sinulog 2021 Grand Showdown to go virtual

He asked choreographers, who joined the virtual workshop, to appoint a safety officer who would ensure that health measures would be observed.

In practices, for example, Ballesteros said participants should be required to wear their face masks and constantly wash their hands with soap and water. 

He also said that used face masks and tissue paper used to cover the mouth when coughing or the nose when sneezing should be disposed of immediately.

Ballesteros said it would also help if temperatures would be checked before and after practices and to order the immediate quarantine of performers or staff members who would feel unwell.

Performers are also advised to immediately go home after their practices to get some rest and avoid contact with others.

“Sometimes the most healthy looking person in the room is the COVID carrier. Looks can be deceiving so you have to be extra careful,” he said.

Ballesteros said it would also be important to always disinfect the practice venues including the equipment that performers use./dbs