City spending P5M for Sinulog

CEBU, Philippines - Despite tremendous calamities faced by Cebu City last year, the city is sparing no expense for the much-awaited finale of the Sinulog festivities on Sunday with over P5 million in expenses.

Executive Director of the Sinulog Foundation Inc. Ricky Ballesteros said they spent as P1.7 million for the backdrop, P600,000 for the 14 by 44-meter platform, P2.5 million for the grand finale performance and P300,000 for the grand fireworks display.

Ballesteros said there are lots of things to look forward to during the Sinulog grand finale like the colorful 10-15 minutes fireworks and the stage with the three-dimensional church design. He said the stage is 80 percent finished.

 The backdrop will have a combination of monochromatic blue with green color on its side. “We will have a simple and clean backdrop para dili mo-clash sa mga designs sa contingents,” Ballesteros said.

 He said they had a technical rehearsal after the Sinulog Festival Queen.

Contingents

Ballesteros said they are expecting at least 35 contingents. However, he said only 27 have registered and the remaining eight contingents from the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan and the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Dakbayan have yet to do so.

Ballesteros said the calamities were considered as a huge factor why some out-of-town contingents did not make it this year. Last year there were a total of 40 contingents. 

Participating contingents from outside are from Tangub, Lanao del Norte, Panglao, Cotabato, Plaridel, Misamis Occidental and two contingents from Placer, Masbate.

He said considering that fewer contingents are participating, the competition will be “short but sweet.”

One of the Masbate contingents was first to arrive last Sunday while the “advance party” of Tangub City arrived last Monday.

This Friday at 9 a.m. will be the final briefing for the float, puppeteers and higantes while today will be the last day for registration.

Jamie Herrell, last year’s festival queen, Ms. Aliwan and Ms. Mega Cebu will dance for the grand finale with 800 dancers.

Classes

Some of the schools where out-of-town contingents will be billeted will no longer hold classes starting tomorrow.

These schools are City Central School (Masbate), Zapatera (Plaridel and Cotabato), City Sports Center (Tangub), Abellana National High School (Panglao and Lanao del Norte), and Labangon Elementary School (Cebu Province).

All contingents will be given P150 cash assistance.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said that while they prioritize classes, the students’ lesson may be disrupted by the contingents’ rehearsals. /BRP (FREEMAN)