Abellana, Talamban reign in Sinulog sa Dakbayan

CEBU, Philippines - Abellana National School and Talamban Elementary School swept all the honors in the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Dakbayan 2011 held at the Cebu City Sports Center yesterday. It was Talamban’s first win but it is still its second participation in the Sinulog sa Kabataan while this is Abellana’s second championship in a row.

The rest composing the top five for the secondary level are Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. Memorial National High School (second place), Apas National High School (third place), Tisa National High School (fourth place) and Balangay - Pardo National High School (fifth place).

Abellana National School also bagged the best in costume and best in musicality awards.

For the elementary category, the rest that completed the top five winners are Mabolo Elementary School (second place), Tejero Elementary School (third place), Pardo Elementary School (fourth place) and City Central Elementary School (fifth place).

Talamban Elementary School also took home the best in costume and best in musicality awards.

All ten winners of the Sinulog sa Kabataan Dakbayan automatically qualifies for the Sinulog Grand Parade competition on January 16.

Their respective scores will be back to zero as they will compete against a different set of contingents from the province and other areas outside Cebu.

The winners in yesterday’s competition received trophies and cash prizes from the Sinulog Foundation Inc. in partnership with the Cebu City Government.   Grand champions won P150,000 cash while the second placers to the fifth placers got P100,000, P75,000, P50,000 and P25,000 respectively. Choreographers received their own cash prizes.

How they made it

Gener Caringan, Director for Cultural Affairs of the University of the East and Chairman of the Board of Judges, said that Talamban Elementary School showed a “very good” production to more than 20,000 spectators at the Cebu City Sports Center.

“Most especially, we’ve seen that everybody was working together as if we were watching only one dancer. They are very synchronized and the kids are enjoying what they’re doing,” Caringan said.

Caringan said Abellana was also able to show them quality performance that is more improved than the previous years.

“We can feel that they’re more confident now maybe because they’re more secure since most of them are winners last year,” he explained.

But since the Grand Parade has a higher standard, Caringan said that all those who will participate on January 16 must practice more to improve especially in expanding their concept.

“They should think about as early as now, how they can expand their concept. How to make it more exciting every single minute,” he said. — (FREEMAN)