'Broadbanding' the Sinulog Festival

Every third weekend of January, millions of locals and tourists converge on the streets of Cebu City for one of the most enduring Philippine festivals, held in honor of the miraculous Sto. Niño.

This year, millions more watched the festivities, from around the world, through the power of high-speed Internet.

Wireless services provider Smart Communications Inc. was tapped by several organizations to help “broadband” Sinulog so more people in more places could virtually experience the festival’s pageantry.

Smart Broadband Inc. powered the live video streaming of the festivities by the SunStar Network Online, the online arm of SunStar Publishing Inc.

Web statistics gathered by SunStar showed that viewers were from the United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Canada and Norway, among other countries.

“It’s awesome to see the miraculous image of the Sto. Niño again. Heartfelt thanks for this wonderful opportunity to join the procession online from the United States,” said an online viewer from Wichita, Kansas.

At the Media Center, Smart provided high-speed Internet access on the request of the Sinulog Foundation Inc.

“This was crucial to photojournalists like myself. We were able to submit our photos and articles on the fly,” said Paul Rosaroso of The Freeman. Just moments ago, he had downloaded from his camera a photo of Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, and sent it to his editor.

Broadband Internet also played a big part in maintaining peace and order during the Sinulog. With more than two million people stretched through the 5.1-kilometer parade route, the city police turned to surveillance cameras powered by Smart’s high-speed wireless Internet to keep a virtual eye on potentially risky areas.

“The police force is happy to report that this year’s Sinulog celebration was generally peaceful, mainly due to the cooperation of the public, and the Internet-powered surveillance tools made available to us helped a lot, too,” said Superintendent Jonathan Abella, intelligence chief of the Cebu City police.

Smart, the company that placed cellphones in the hands of more than 35 million Filipinos, is now “broadbanding” the country through its “Internet for All” campaign, which is based on a familiar formula: low cost, nationwide coverage, ease of use, and ubiquity. 

For more information on Smart’s broadband offers, visit www.smart.com.ph/bro.