Truth and Consequence

This writer mentioned in my previous column article about the importance of supervision in festival management where the ocular inspectors of Sinulog Foundation, Inc. clearly expressed their profound interest in contributing to the betterment of productions of participating contingents, most especially local schools of nearby municipalities and cities.

The objectives were achieved. But lapses occurred.

Talk about Compostela National High School contingent. No question about the props left backstage during the competition last Sunday. Compostela deserved the penalty. It was found out that a certain male teacher instructed the students to bring some props backstage around 10:30a.m. despite briefing from the choreographer and the school principal regarding the guidelines of the competition and against the advice from the Abellana entry guards.

The breach was found out by the Sinulog staff around lunchtime, during the Best of Cebu presentation, when authorities with sniffing dogs checked the alleged props in response to an alert for bomb threats.

Compostela presented at the grand stand by 4:00 p.m. Thus, the corresponding deduction of twenty points.

But while penalty holds true for the violation, the use of a recorded voice being deducted three points was a lapse as a recorded voice-over to simulate a radio announcement from a transistor radio, as part of the presentation, is not canned music. One can clearly differentiate music from a conversation, right? If the guidelines prohibited the use of canned conversation, Compostela would not have used it in the first place.

During the ocular inspection in Compostela last December 28, the choreographer presented the idea of using such a device to the organizer. The organizer advised the choreographer to approach the sound system in-charge. The voice recording was eventually played during the Sinulog sa Kabataan Panlalawigan two Saturdays ago.

Neither the judges nor the organizers mentioned the alleged technicality even right after the competition, when choreographers and contingent heads were compelled to attend the choreographers' advisory.

Again, the contingent organizers met with the Sinulog organizers at the Provincial Capitol the following day during the "Laag-laag" ASEAN Summit presentation as the Compostela dancers were tasked to perform at the site. There was never a mention about the voice recording where all other aspects were brought up to encourage the contingent to bravely compete in the upcoming grand parade.

So, in good faith, the radio voice simulation eventually took place.

Thereafter, during deliberation of the judges, such events mentioned above should have been pointed out to prevent confusion on their part as to whether to impose the penalty. This three-point deduction, no matter how small, was still a crucial element. It is enough for Compostela to take the 20-point deduction because the contingent admitted the fault. But the voice-over was a misunderstanding.

So follows the issue on the festival queen dethronement. As the organizers failed to inform contact person director Al Evangelio of the Southwestern University regarding the guidelines of the competition that the winner should perform in the street dance competition the following day. He only received a very late advice to send a candidate at the Sinulog office. This explains why SWU candidate was not able to join the pictorials. He thought this was a beauty pageant and he was never aware of any responsibilities of the winner thereafter. He did not receive any follow-up advice regarding this matter after that evening competition.

Truly, ignorance is not bliss but everything in all aspects of the competition, as far as festival management is concerned, must be followed up and dealt with on a case to case basis to prevent miscommunication and judgment lapses.

Anyway, the organizers of SFI are knowledgeable enough to answer all queries. Everything must have been rooted in miscommunication.

The Sinulog is not just an ordinary competition. Devotion and solemnity aside, this involves a lot of myriad demands - time, effort, finance, physical stress, etc.

Lessons must be learned here to create a better festival next year.

Kudos to SFI and the winners!