3 million celebrate the Fiesta Señor

CEBU, Philippines - An estimated crowd of three million joined in celebrating the Feast of the Sr. Santo Niño as revealed by Cebu City Police Office chief Sr. Supt. Melvin Ramon Buenafe.

Buenafe said that good weather condition and the presence of celebrities led to the influx of revelers.

He said about an estimated one million people lined the roads watching the performers during the carousel route while another two million celebrated the feast in other parts of the city like the malls, the Cebu City Sports Center and the Basilica del Sto. Niño. 

“Medyo pareho lang last year ang tao and thanks sa ulan kasi hindi naging mainit ang ulo ng mga tao,” Buenafe said.

Based on his assessment the Sinulog celebration was peaceful since no big crime was recorded in relation to the event.

The police also anticipated that the large crowd could present others an opportunity to make trouble.

“Anticipated na ‘yan and to prevent it we dispatch personnel hindi na natin hintayin na may mangyari pa,” he said.

Buenafe was thankful that everyone cooperated with them as a way to entice tourists in coming over to Cebu again.

“We have to protect the reputation of the Sinulog para hindi matakot ang tourists na bumalik dito,” he said.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said that the Sinulog went well and according to plan especially with people participating well and the weather cooperating.

Rama said that he felt the excitement of the celebration especially in the streets and in the Cebu City Sports complex where more and more people arrived despite seeing that there were a lot of people already. 

But Rama reminded the police before the day ended yesterday to stay alert despite the grand festival ending since there are locations that need to be guarded.

He told Cebu City Police Office Director Ramon Melvin Buenafe on a phone conversation, that they need to concentrate on party places like Mango Avenue and the Banilad area.

Also, he added more areas to constantly check like N. Bacalso Ave towards Cebu City Medical Center, P. del Rosario, Jones Blvd., Gorordo Ave., and Echavez St.

Overcrowded

But several Sinulog ticket holders complained as they could no longer sit at the grandstand of the Cebu City Sports Center because the grandstand was already congested even as early as 8 a.m. yesterday.

“Dili ko makasabot nganong maghinubra man ang mga tawo. Subra diay ang tiket nga ilang gi-imprinta?” Zonia Abellana of barangay Labangon complained to The FREEMAN while holding her yellow grandstand ticket.

She bought three tickets at P600 each for herself, her husband, and their grandson, but said she could no longer find sitting room when they went up the stage at 10 a.m.

People already occupying the grandstand brought along their children. While children are exempted from the ticket requirement to be allowed to enter the platform, they are occupying seating room.

“Asa man diay namo palingkora ang among mga bata? Naa man g’yuy lugar ba kon mangita lang sila. Mosayo unta sila aron makapahimutang,” one parent defended herself.

Those who paid for tickets but failed to find seats wanted refunds from Sinulog organizers.

Rumors of fake tickets also spread.

Mayor Michael Rama had created a committee composed of selected employees to monitor problems within the parade route and at the CCSC to help solve it.

The police installed security cameras in strategic places of the carousel route and the monitors were also installed at the newly-constructed Cebu City Police Station 2 at Osmeña Blvd. corner R. Landon St.

Festival Island

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said there is no need to compare the Sinulog festival and the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo, a yearly event that showcases the different festivals of the towns and cities towns and cities in the Province of f Cebu.

“There’s really a no need to compete (but) complement each other,” Garcia said, who has danced in the Sinulog as a guest performer since she assumed governorship in 2004.

In yesterday’s Sinulog festival, Garcia wore a white Spanish-inspired costume when she danced with the contingent from La Torta Festival of Argao town.

According to Garcia, it was very special to her to dance with the La Torta Festival as “it promotes Cebu as festival island.”

Garcia said that the exposure of the La Torta Festival has been given them not only fame but recognition of the fact that the other towns and cities of the province of Cebu have their own unique festivals.

“Further underlining the fact that because we have practically festivals in each and everyone in our local gov’t unit, Cebu now rightfully it deserves the title of Festival Island, ” Garcia said.

There are at least 40 festivals in the Cebu Province.

The “Pasigarbo sa Sugbo” is the annual street dancing and ritual showdown is part of a month-long celebration that showcases the mingling of varied religious and cultural dances of Cebuanos.

Thankful foreigner

Meanwhile, a visitor from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, was overwhelmed by the generosity and honesty of a Cebuana who returned her smart phone worth $400 when she lost it last Friday.

MJ Gregory, an office manager back in Las Vegas, said a certain “Rona” from R. Landon St., Cebu City, went to her hotel to return her HTC Smart Phone an hour after she lost it. She said she wanted to reward her hero $100 but she never had the chance to get her contact number.

“For me to come so far and to feel the generosity of this stranger, it means the world to me,” Gregory said.

Gregory and her husband Dr. Maurice Gregory are here for the first time. They came in the company of the Philippine Bisayan Society of Nevada or the Balikbayan group.

“For me to come to a strange country and have my phone back, what are the odds off that? In my own country, if I lose this, I will never have this back,” she said. She said she will definitely come back for the Sinulog next year and will bring her children. —Ryan Christopher J. Sorote, Ria Mae Y. Booc, Rene U. Borromeo, Garry B. Lao and Jessica Ann R. Pareja, AJ de la Torre /BRP (THE FREEMAN)