Be ready for rainy Sinulog

CEBU, Philippines - Have your rain gear ready if you are watching the Sinulog celebration or taking part in the various religious activities.

“Probable kaayo nga mag-uwan-uwan kay La Niña man ta,” said Oscar Tabada, Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa)-Mactan Chief.

Tabada said that Cebu and the rest of Central Visayas will be experiencing light to moderate rainshowers.

Tabada said that Cebu has to be extra cautious as it will experience rains in the first three months of this year due to the La Niña phenomenon.

PAGASA is expecting five typhoons to enter the country in the first five months of this year.

Eight automatic weather stations (AWS), a gadget that measures the volume of rainfall, have already been placed in Metro Cebu, Bogo City, Bantayan Island and Camotes Island in the northern part of Cebu as well as the provinces of Bohol and Negros Oriental.

Tabada advised for spectators of the grand parade on January 15 to bring rain gear.

The organizers of the Sinulog are, however, not worried despite the gloomy weather prediction as this is not the first time that foul weather is expected during the festivities.

Sinulog Foundation Executive Director Ricky Ballesteros said the celebration has hiked up accommodation rates, which has seen to big boost the local tourism industry.

Ballesteros said that they now have a hard time accommodating friends and relatives that want to come to Cebu to witness the grand parade on January 15.

As of today, the hotels and even small pension houses are already 90 percent full.

“The Sinulog event is always a lucrative time for the hotel sector and even pension houses in Cebu City because this is the time when their occupancy rates are at its highest,” Ballesteros said.

 Ballesteros said that with the influx of tourists to Cebu during the Sinulog event, not only the accommodation sector benefits.

“Hotels hike their room rates at an average of 20 to 50 percent. Last year, some hotels even tripled their room rates. Restaurants, malls, other small traders and even the transportation sector as well can gain from the large number of tourists that flock to Cebu every Sinulog event,” Ballesteros added.

 Even the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 7 has taken advantage of the occasion to hold the Sinulog Fiesta ‘OTOP Fair 2012’ at the SM City Cebu. The OTOP Fair will run from January 11 until 22 and features the best of Cebu products, food and non-food items alike.

 OTOP which stands for One Town, One Product is a priority program of the government to promote a specific product or service distinct of every city or municipality with the end-goal of promoting entrepreneurship and create jobs at the same time. 

Grand parade update

In yesterday’s Kapihan sa Philippine Information Agency held at the Cebu City Sports Center, Ballesteros said the tickets for the white seats, which is nearest to the center of the stadium, have already been sold out.

He said the tickets for the rest of the seats colored blue, yellow, pink, and green are still available.

Ballesteros said they have raised about P31 million out of the P40 million they expect to spend in order to offer something new during the entire Sinulog festivities.

The SFI executive director said they are confident they can achieve their target amount as they have more sponsors coming. As of now, Ballesteros said about 45 contingents have confirmed to join the Sinulog grand parade, including those from Dumaguete City, one of the few cities recently devastated by typhoon Sendong.

Contingents from Kauswagan, Cagayan De Oro City and from Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental, which were both also struck by the typhoon, are joining, Ballesteros said.

Last year, there were 48 contingents which joined the competition, which for this year will give out P1 million as grand prize, doubling last year’s P500,000. Cebu City mayor and SFI chairman Michael Rama said they continue to add ways to enhance the entertainment and religious value of the festival this year.

Rama, however, called on the people to focus to the Sto. Niño while they are having fun or earning a living. —/NLQ (FREEMAN)