Cebu tourism up as Sinulog Festival celebrates 30th year

Cebu City (5 January) -- Cebu's tourism industry shines bright with the new year as hotel bookings are full leading to the annual biggest event of the year in Cebu, the Sinulog Festival, which celebrates its 30th year.

Initiated in 1980, the Sinulog Festival showed the devotion of the Cebuanos to its Patron Saint Señor Sto. Niño through dance steps that depicted the religious history of the island province and how its people were converted from pagans to Catholics.

Contingents of the Sinulog Mardi Gras then were just a few but over the years, the number of contingents grew as out-of-town participants joined the Sinulog parade.

The Sinulog Mardi Gras has evolved from a simple activity to a major tourism crowd drawer while the festival has become a popular religious event especially among the devotees to the Sto. Niño. Some devotees who come to Cebu in January hail as far as Mindanao and Luzon to pay their respects to the little Child Jesus, Sto. Niño while balikbayans make it a habit to come home to celebrate Sinulog with their loved ones.

On Friday, the 2010 Sinulog Festival will kick off starting at 2:00 p.m. with a Sinulog photo exhibit through the years at SM City Cebu, Ayala Center and at the Mactan Cebu International Airport followed by a solemn mass at 3:00 p.m. at the Basilica del Sto. Niño.

At 7:00 p.m., a launching parade will be conducted from the Basilica del Sto. Niño to the Cebu City Sports Center followed by the opening and launching program at Fuente Osmeña at 7:30 p.m.

Succeeding days will witness activities that include the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan, Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Dakbayan, cultural shows, concert and street party bands at Fuente Osmeña, Ms. Cebu 2010, Cebu Pop Festival, Walk With Mary, Misa de Translacion motorcade, Sinulog Festival Queen 2010 Competition and Balik Cebu Welcome Party for Balikbayans.

The widely attended religious activities on the other hand are the fluvial procession of the Miraculous Image of Sto. Niño at the Mactan Channel, the re-enactment of the Baptism of Queen Juana and Rajah Humabon at the Basilica and the solemn procession on the 16th.

On January 17, the Sinulog 2010 Grand Parade begins at 9:00 a.m. and is expected to last until 7:00 p.m. with a grand fireworks at the Cebu City Sports Center while awarding ceremonies of the winners will be done the next day.

Police are also busy preparing for security measures in anticipation of the bulk of people that will flock and join the merriment during the mardi gras.