A Kapuso Sinulog...

CEBU CITY , Philippines  – The rain didn’t hamper the recent celebration of the Sinulog Festival in this Queen City of the South.

The affair honoring the Sto. Niño, traditionally observed every third Sunday of January, still brought an extraordinary number of foreign and local tourists that instantly filled hotels and made local businesses more lucrative. The fluvial procession and Eucharistic Mass pushed through as scheduled. Colorful parades passed by the dazzled crowd without a hitch. Street dancing festivals with contingents from all over the province were garbed in costumes bursting in colors. They strutted in the distinctive two steps forward and one step backward routine to the rhythmic Sinulog beat. People even hummed the infectious melody, and every spectator seemed unmindful of the gloomy skies and occasional downpour.

Indeed, the annual commemorative rites, which has been observed for the past 30 years, put everyone in a jubilant mood. But what made the Cebuanos’ hearts filled more delight was GMA 7’s participation in the event dubbed as the “Mother of All Festivals. “

The Kapuso network treated everyone to two consecutive nights of fun and entertainment. Perennial onscreen partner Aljur Abrenica and Kris Bernal greeted the ecstatic audience at SM City’s covered parking area. The Last Prince stars rendered songs that elicited shrieks from the crowd. Young loveteam Joshua Dionisio and Barbie Forteza, on the other hand, received thunderous roar from the lively audience as they ascended the stage with Way Back into Love. La Diva and the Sex Bomb Girls sang and danced the night away with their boundless energy.

The lively presence and funny antics of hosts Yurri Deldig and Binibining Pilipinas beauty Anna Maris Igpit added glitter to the star-studded Kapuso Night.

But what turned SM Events Center into a hotter venue was Cebuanos’ warm welcome to the cast of Full House on the second night of the show. Deafening shrieks filled the air as Rainier Castillo and Sheena Halili sang a tender duet of Bakit Ngayon Ka Lang. Isabel Oli, on the other hand, performed I’ve Fallen for You while Patrick Garcia engaged the crowd in a kilig moment when he threw one by one three of the four shirts he was wearing while crooning Harana. An exhilarated fan fell from her seat as she got one of the shirts.

Did I see the crowd grow wilder as Richard Gutierrez and Heart Evangelista sang Fallen? The two even descended the stage to get closer to the audience.

“It’s been a while since I saw a crowd that’s so active. They sing with you and that inspires me to perform well,” Heart says. “If people in Manila are used to seeing celebrities and they just watch you perform, here the constant screaming is overwhelming. It’s nice to see them happy.”

Out-of -town shows, Heart adds, are breathers from the hectic tapings that tie her down to work until the wee hours of the morning. She, too, thinks meeting people through her show is a perfect avenue of reaching out to them.

Richard shares the same feeling as he looks forward to joining Sinulog celebration every year.

“They are so responsive and warm. You can feel the high energy,” he says.

But both laugh off speculations that there’s something more than meets the eye between them.

“I’ve been busy with work and we’re just really good friends,” Richard offers.

Full House occupies most of his time. He, too, is busy preparing for Captain Barbell to air soon on GMA.

So there, as loud and clear as the pounding of drums in the Sinulog beat. Richard and Heart need not be lovers to last together.