Opao contingent pledges more

CEBU, Philippines – The choreographer of Opao Elementary School, Mandaue City’s contingent to Sinulog Grand Parade, vowed more “wow factor” in their Free Interpretation performance this Sunday.

The contingent, which won five of the major prizes in the recent Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan, paid a courtesy call to Mayor Jonas Cortes yesterday morning to present the five trophies from the competition where they took home a total winnings of P315,000.

Opao ES bagged the second prize in the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan last Saturday. The contingent also won the top spot in street and was adjudged Best in Costume and Best in Musicality during the ritual showdown.

During the visit, officials of the Department of Education Mandaue City Schools Division headed by superintendent Dr. Virginia Zapanta and the whole contingent thanked the mayor for the support given to them.

The city government gave a total of P3.4 million budget for the said contingent.

During the press conference, head choreographer Erwin Demape said the contingent will still be joining the Sinulog Grand Parade this Sunday wherein they are set to pull off more surprising routines in props and other visual effects.

Demape, who won a grand slam award as best choreographer for the Silhig Festival in Barangay Paknaan, said it was his first time to choreograph for the Mandaue City schools division. He said he did not expect that the contingent will win most of the major prizes.

In fact, for the street dance competition, the steps were only practiced the night before the competition since they focused more on steps of their free interpretation routine.

The contingent from Opao ES is composed of one hundred pupils from Grades 4 to 6 with propsmen that reach 300.

The concept of the dance, according to Demape, was all about the life of miners here in Cebu and the risks posed to their jobs.

Zapanta, for her part, thanked the contingent for their all-out efforts, calling their dancing as “a labor of love.”

She said DepEd did not consider the costs but the efforts, honor and the children’s devotion to Sr. Sto. Niño.

“Perform with your heart and soul. I’m going to say this now so that everything will end up beautifully. Give your best to the blessed Sr. Sto Niño,” went Zapanta’s message to the contingent.

‘Wow factor’