Remembering the first Sinulog

I was one of the few reporters who had the opportunity to cover the making, as it were, of the Sinulog. I mean the very first edition. And here are some highlights of the making of that maiden edition of what is now considered the biggest festival in the land.

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The project was cooked up in the old building housing of the then Ministry of Youth and Sports Development (MYSD) in the Capitol compound. The "cook" was then MYSD-7 Regional Director David "Boy" Odilao Jr. who could not immediately explain why of all things he would launch a religious-based project.

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It rained in the morning of the first day of the Sinulog. Boy Odilao was not flustered by the rain. "Blessing from Heaven," someone said patting Boy on the shoulder. And it now looks like it. A blessing. The Sinulog went on to progress year after year since then.

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Boy Odilao originally named the festival "Sinulog sa Sugbo" to propagate it as a new tourist attraction in Cebu. And maybe to differentiate it from the other already existing Sinulog festivals in other provinces of the country.

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The words "Sa Sugbo" were dropped on Sinulog's year two during the administration of Mayor Florentino "Dodong" Solon. It was Dodong who adopted the Sinulog as an undertaking of the city government. And it was also Mayor Solon who first recognized Boy Odilao as "The Father of the Sinulog."

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The very first Sinulog was a sort of a religious procession where the members of the contingents taking part were dressed formally - the women in mestiza gown, the men in barong - and danced the Sinulog in a manner that gave dignity and solemnity to the occasion. The dance/prayer was choreographed by a topnotch choreographer from a local university's dance troupe.

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Few people were seen lining up the sides of the streets where the Sinulog procession passed by. Few, that is, if compared to the hordes of people crowding the streetsides to see the present-day Sinulog parade.

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The personnel of the MYSD regional office were involved in the preparation, planning, budgeting, implementation, etc. of the first Sinulog. Each had an assignment to do - especially those who manned the secretariat.