SFI receives P3M from province

CEBU, Philippines - The Sinulog Foundation, Inc. yesterday received the P3 million donation from the Province of Cebu, the biggest financial assistance they ever received for the annual Sinulog Festival.

SFI executive director Ricky Ballesteros and project director Dolores Suzara personally received the check from Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia at the Capitol yesterday.

Ballesteros expressed his gratitude to Garcia for helping the SFI in the past years but added that this is the biggest ever in terms of financial assistance.

Aside from the financial assistance, Ballesteros said that Garcia also extended assistance to Sinulog contingents coming from the municipalities and component cities.

The SFI requested Garcia for the P3 million to help defray the expenses of the line-up of activities for the entire duration of the Sinulog festivities including the 10-day street parties, concerts, pageants, cultural events and trade activities before the Sinulog Grand Parade on Sunday.

Garcia granted the request when SFI officials met with her personally shortly after she asked them to.

Ballesteros said that the assistance from the province is a big help in their fund raising drive as they need around P17 million.

As of yesterday, he told reporters that they still have to raise P4 million more though he is confident they can raise it from the ticket sales and from the sponsors.

Meanwhile, Garcia announced that for the first time as a public official, she will be joining the thousands, if not millions, of devotees during the solemn procession of the image of Senior Santo Niño on Saturday.

“I will join it and hope to really finish it,” Garcia told reporters yesterday. 

In the morning, Garcia for the third time will also be joining the fluvial parade with Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama who invited her.

Garcia planned to have a separate sea vessel for the Province of Cebu during the fluvial parade but thought of joining Rama as a “symbolic representation of unity” between the city and the province.

Shortly after the fluvial parade, Garcia will inaugurate the new crime laboratory of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group CIDG (see separate story) at 10:00 in the morning, then to the solemn procession at 1:00 in the afternoon.

She will be joining the dance rehearsal of the La Torta Festival of the Municipality of Argao, who will perform as guest during the Sinulog grand parade on Sunday morning, and will dance again during the grand finale later in the evening at the Cebu City Sports Center. — (FREEMAN)