Sto. Niño vendors reap blessings from Sinulog through brisk sales

With the charm of the Sinulog festivity able to draw tens of thousands of visitors to Cebu, not only are Cebu businessmen looking forward to how the festival would be moving macro-businesses, but more so the micro-businesses such as that involving Sto. Niño vendors.

Merlinda Batiller, for example, enjoys a boost of more than 100 percent in sales of her wares. She says upsurge in sales begins a month before the festival and remains high until the later part of February.

At its peak, Merlinda says, sales in Sto. Niño icons/images and the outfit could bring her a daily average income of P3,000. Compared to months between March to November, the festivity brings in a difference of P1,000 in daily average income.

As her stall outside of the Basilica was demolished five years ago, she presently shares a small stall with two of about a hundred vendors who transferred nearby. She said she pays a daily space rental of P5.

It has been observed that the best gauge to measure the success of the Sinulog festivity would be the turnout of visitors because they give a boost in business activities of the city including for those eking out a living along the street of the Basilica. If that's the case, then every Sinulog may well mean a success.

Patently Cebuano, Sinulog, for more than two decades, has helped carve a name for the Queen City of the South in and outside of the country as destination for religious/pilgrimage tourism and has served as an instrument to channel in blessings for the Sto. Niño vendors. - Marisar Ivy C. Cabatingan, STC MassCom intern