Mayor Osmeña scraps 'Sinulog sa Kabataan'

Mayor Tomas Osmeña would not want schoolkids to be taken out of the classrooms for extra-curricular activities and has, for the second time in two years, cancelled the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Dakbayan next month.

Osmeña admitted at while he cannot prevent some students from not joining Sinulog activities because they are joining as part of their barangay contingent, he would like to take concrete steps to keep most of them from participating.

Osmeña stood pat on his decision for not reviving the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Dakbayan because the teachers and students allocate a lot of time for practice and winning the competition and in the process have neglected their classes.

The mayor said that if he finds out that the public school students, who will be participating as part of barangay contingents, will have problems with their academics, he will consider a total ban of students from the Sinulog Mardi Gras.

"I really cannot prevent them from joining. But if this will affect their school, maybe we can prevent them from joining," Osmeña told The Freeman in mobile phone interview. The mayor said he has to set priorities as good education is superior compared to joining the activity.

But Vice Mayor Michael Rama, the chairman of the Sinulog Foundation, said that "you cannot prevent them from joining" since students participation particularly dancing is part of their extra-curricular activities. "It could not be that the students will be banned from joining any Sinulog activity. If you are banning students from joining the Sinulog activity, then kinsa man imong paapilon kanang mga out-of-school youth?" Rama said. Rama, however, assured Osmeña that the education of the public school students, who will be participating in the Sinulog, will not be affected.

The vice mayor said, "We always make sure that they do practice on the weekends." Rama said he keeps on reminding the teachers not to defy the order of the mayor otherwise future activities will be affected. - Garry B. Lao