SINULOG FEATURE: A costly form of veneration

CEBU, Philippines - Fielding a contingent to participate in the Sinulog grand parade may cost thousands or even millions of pesos—an extravagance to some but veneration to others.

According to renowned choreographer Victor Cuenco, having a “presentable and winnable” contingent requires big funding since the competition requires an intricate production detail and expenses are incurred through the process.

He admitted that his years in the craft made him realize that winning the Sinulog is no walk in the park, describing it as a tedious passage to showcase the ritual dance in the most creative way.

Sinulog festival started as purely religious event through the practice “halad” or offering dance. There was no excessive pageantry but only the traditional dance step of two steps forward and one step backward, done to the sound of drums.

“Kung ganahan gyud ka og bongga nga production, mga more or less P1.5 million to P2 million g’yud ang budget ana…apil na ana ang set ug hand props, talent fee, meals, and transportation,” Cuenco said, adding that Buyogan Festival of Abuyog, Leyte, which won last year’s Sinulog grand parade, spent around the budget range.

He explained, though, that out-of-town contingents usually have the burden of additional funding since they would spend on transportation for their dancers and props.

Cuenco, who has been a choreographer for 20 years, made Cebu City Central School win first place in the street dancing competition last 2004.

He also helped the Siloy Festival of Alcoy town bag the grand prize in Sinulog-based category in 2008 and made Buyogan Festival a grand prize winner in the free interpretation category during last year’s Sinulog.

Norman Navarro, choreographer of Lumad Basakanon of Barangay San Nicolas also added that their contingent spent more for costumes and props in last year’s Sinulog than in previous years.

“For the costume and props alone, we already spent about P800,000,” he said.

Navarro, together with his younger brother Dennis have been helping the contingent win the Sinulog top prizes.

Lumad Basakanon won grand prize in the free interpretation category in 2007 and 2008, and for three straight years since 2006, it was pronounced as grand winner in the Aliwan Festival, known as the country’s festival of festivals, held in Manila.

On the other hand, the contingent of Alpha Kappa Rho (Akrho) had only set aside P300,000 as budget for their costume and other expenses last Sinulog 2009.

Richard Buscayno, Akrho’s regional chapter president, said that participation was shouldered by its international chapters in the United States of America, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and Korea.

In an earlier interview, he said that their group wanted to show to the public that there group is not a “threat” to the society. Akrho will join under the free interpretation category this January 17.

Also last year, Sinanduloy Cultural Troupe of Tangub City, Misamis Occidental, had a funding problem and only decided to join the Sinulog two months before the grand parade.

But despite the short preparation, the contingent still won the grand prize in the Sinulog-based category last year.

However, Mayor Jennifer Wee Tan declined to divulge the amount their local government unit spent for their contingent, saying it was all for the glory of Sto. Niño.

Joining the Sinulog is a ritual of signification of belief, according to a professor of the University of the Philippines Cebu College (UPCC). Phoebe Sanchez, who has made studies on sociology, said that the aspect of religion, as observed in Sinulog, is a “collective conscience” of the participating group.

“The capacity to express talent and skill turns into a creative activity of prayer,” she said.

She explained that people have thematic expression of faith and the culture of Filipinos dictates our perspective of glorification,

“It depends on the perspective of the ones who provide the funding of the contingent. It’s democracy…I appreciate these people who spend thousands of pesos to show devotion to Sto. Niño,” she said.

Globalization, she said, is one of the factors that lead people to spend because there is an international community who watch Sinulog.

“But the important thing, no matter how much we spend, is the religious aspect where we make communication to the Holy Child,” she stressed. — Marjun A. Baguio, University of Cebu Intern/WAB