“Sinulog happens everyday”

CEBU, Philippines - People nowadays take “Sinulog” to mean the grand parade of colorful dancers and artistic floats that is held is every January, but a priest reminds that Sinulog is seen everyday at the Basilica del Sto. Niño.

“Sinulog does not just happen every January. It is a daily event around the Basilica del Santo Niño de Cebu, sans the color and festivities. The performers are not dancing in groups but in solitude; not young and bouncy but old and hunched. Their acts are not done with complicated choreographies but with simple moves; not with thunderous beats but with simple murmured requests,” Batayola said.

The Sinulog Grand Parade which has become the huge tourist attraction, is a civic, cultural and religious affair organized by the Sinulog Foundation with the support of the Cebu City Government.

The traditional religious Sinulog, on the other hand, is much different, according to Fr. Andrew Batayola, OSA.

“They don’t perform before an audience but before a miraculous icon, not for an award but for a favor,” he added.

During the annual fiesta of Sr. Sto. Niño, though, the simple Sinulog becomes bigger as thousands, even millions, flock to the Basilica to pay homage to the Holy Child.

What makes the religious event different from the Sinulog Grand Parade is that all devotees, together with the clergy who attend the Pontifical Mass in the Pilgrim Center, the Basilica and the surrounding streets, dance the Sinulog to the simple beats of the ordinary drums as one praying community.

People raise their prayers not only as individuals but as a community praying and praising together by saying, “Pit Senyor! Viva, Pit Senyor!”  This scene is expected at the end of the Saturday Pontifical Mass which often lasts an hour.

Even after the community’s religious Sinulog ends, thousands of devotees - by groups, families or as individual - continue the Sinulog offering for several more hours.

Since the Fiesta Senyor 2011, another tradition has been initiated and this is to have a shorter version of this traditional Religious Sinulog after the 7:00 p.m. Novena Mass within the nine-day novena period.  This gives ample opportunity to thousands of devotees who can no longer join the Vesperas Traditional Religious Sinulog because they come from places outside Cebu and could no longer come back for the Vesperas celebration.  (FREEMAN)