CEBU, Philippines — The Pasayaw Festival contingent of Canlaon City, Negros Oriental will be going home as the biggest winner of yesterday’s Grand Ritual Showdown of Sinulog 2024 after they bagged the grand prize of the Free Interpretation (FI) category, as well as other special prizes.
The contingent from Canlaon City will be going home with P3 million as 1st prize winner of the Grand Ritual Showdown, plus more prizes as they bagged 1st prize of Best in musicality and Best in Costume, and second place in Best in Street Dancing (FI category).
Canlaon’s choreographer, Cebuano Victor Cuenco, said they only had a little over a month to prepare. Apart from that, he said they had even more challenges traveling to Cebu from logistics to their costumes, plus the unpredictable weather. But he said it made the team even more strong and determined.
Banauan Cultural Group of Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City, meanwhile, bagged the grand prize in the Sinulog-based (SB) category, and will also be going home with P3 million. They also won 1st prize for Best in Costume and 2nd prize for Best in Musicality (SB category).
Banauan was also the grand prize winner in last week’s Sinulog sa Dakbayan.
“Daghang salamat sa Balaang Bata nga si Senyor Santo Niño ug ang Mahal nga Birhen sa Guadalupe. Sila ang naghatag og kusog sa among grupo hangtod nga nagmalampuson kini. Salamat sa tanang nisuporta sa among grupo. Viva Pit Senyor! Viva Birhen sa Guadalupe!” said Cliff Yunson Racuya,head choreographer of the Banauan Cultural Group
Other winners for the FI category are: 2nd place-- Tribu Kamanting Performing Arts Guild, San Jose Province of Dinagat Islands; 3rd place-- Lumad Basakanon of Brgy Basak San Nicolas; 4th place-- Banay San Nicolasnon of Brgy San Nicolas Proper and 5th place-- Tribu Mabolokon of Brgy Mabolo.
While the other SB category winners are: 2nd place-- Abellana National School; 3rd place-- Inayawan Talents Guild and Cultural Dance Troupe; 4th place-- Banay Labangon; and 5th place-- Nagkahiusang Pamilyang Cebu Gen of Banilad.
The famous Lumad Basakanon of Brgy Basak San Nicolas won the 1st prize in the Street Dancing competition. Other winners for the category, apart from Canlaon City winning second place, are: Inayawan Talents Guild, 3rd place; Tribu Camating of Dinagat Island, 4th place; and Nagkahiusang Pamilyang Cebu Gen of Banilad, 5the place.
Winners for SB category Best in Musicality are Banay Labangon, 1st place; Banauan Cultural Group, 2nd place; Inayawan Talents Guild and Cultural Dance Troupe, 3rd place; Pundok Baniladnon sa Sugbo of Brgy Banilad, 4th place; and Abellana National School, 5th place.
While for the FI category Best in Musicality, following Canlaon City at first place is Tribu Kamanting Performing Arts Guild; San Jose Province of Dinagat Islands, 2nd place; Lumad Basakanon of Brgy Basak San Nicolas, 3rd place; Tribu Mabolokon of Brgy Mabolo, 4rt place; and Aktibong binaliwhanon of Brgy Binaliw, 5th place.
IPI’s main float won 1st place for the float category and their 65th anniversary float also bagged the 3rd place. The float of M. Lhuillier won second place.
For the higante category, the winners are: 1st prize-- The Juana after the wedding, 2nd prize-- Rags to riches, 3rd prize-- Taho Vendor of Celso Ampalayo.
The Puppeteer category winners are: 1st prize-- Angelique Aranas, 2nd prize-- Ryan Cuyos, and 3rd prize-- Orly Johnson Fuentes.
Jampacked srp
Cebu City Police Office Director Ireneo Dalogdog says based on their estimate as of 4 p.m. yesterday, the crowd at the South Road Properties (SRP) reached over 3 million.
There were lesser people in the morning due to the scorching heat of the sun, but the crowd started to get bigger in the afternoon when the sun started to set.
So far peaceful ug manageable ang atong pagselebrar sa Sinulog 2024,” said Dalogdog.
Meanwhile, aside from reports of children separated from their parents, Dalogdog said it was generally peaceful. The children were also immediately reunited with their parents.
“Nakita nato kaganina, since kaganinang buntag, wala tay na-monitor nga naa’y mga untoward
incidents like yong mga crime incidents like theft or kining robbery,” Dalogdog added.
According to Dalogdog, they had 3252 security personnel from different agencies, including the police force of the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), among others, deployed all over the city.
Dalogdog said that they sent more personnel to reported areas of overcrowding to help control the crowd.
Further, Cebu City Councilor Jocelyn Pesquerra, who chairs the city’s tourism commission, reported at least 90 percent of hotel occupancy all over Cebu City.
Pesquerra said though it is not yet on the pre-pandemic level, but it is way better than the year 2022.
“Although not one hundred percent ang occupancy of our hotels karon, not as high as the pre pandemic, but this is a very good improvement kaysa last year,” Pesquerra said.
She added that foreign guests who came to watch the event includes those from Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands; Vancouver, Canada; China; U.S.A and some Europeans.
“Daghan-daghan ang mga foreigners karon,” added Pesquerra, who added that they had a sold out event and as expected mostly showed up later in the afternoon.
Dancers and choreographers’ request
While it did not rain yesterday as feared following the gloomy weather the past weeks, the scorching heat of the sun and the lack of shade at the SRP was a concern for dancers and the handlers, choreographers and teachers assisting the participating contingents.
The handler of Pundok Baniladhanon of Barangay Banilad Cebu City lamented the viability of the SRP grounds as a venue, citing effects on their dancers as three have already collapsed while another one was even rushed to the hospital as of noon time yesterday.
“Sa tinuod lang init jud kaayo, ang mga dancers namo gahigda pa lang, wala pa la’y gibuhat nag anam-anam na og kakuyapan kay di jud madala ang kainit, di lalom ang kainit,” said the handler, who requested anonymity to the media.
He added that their dancers, mostly teens, suffered from the scorching heat despite having a call time at early dawn. He said they could only encourage their dancers to focus on the fact that they are offering their performance to Sr. Sto. Niño.
“Ug naa mi problema amo nalang solbaron kay wala nami mahimo, mao naman jud ang lugar,” he said.
Laying down differences of venues, the said handler said he would prefer the previous Sinulog Grand Parade venue which was at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC). According to him, CCSC at least has trees that will serve as shade.
Another handler of Pundok Baniladhanon, who also refused to be identified, also cited the “lack of coordination” of the Sinulog organizers with them.
According to him, they were told that they were set to perform next at around 12 noon so they decided to set aside their lunches first to prepare for their supposed performance.
“But ingon sila musayaw na kuno mi pag ana dinha. Wala miingon ang organizers na standby mo diha, take your food or whatsoever, pag abot namo diha na mu take position na unta mi, gi hunongan mi kay naa pa daw muperform,” he said.
“Asa nga hustisya ana?” he added. “Luoy kaayo among dancers. Pirting inita sa SRP,” he added.
Meanwhile, Alfred Rivera, one of the teachers who assisted the Tribu Divinohanon of Divino Amore Academy of Talisay City, said that although the grand parade was overall organized, there could be more room for “improvement” in the coming years.
Among those he suggested is the provision of shade for the participating dancers. He cited that among those they had a hard time figuring out is final position for their line-up.
“At least siguro ma well-organized pa next pa, although organized na sya mas ma well-prepared pa sila,” he said.
As this has been the first time that Divino Amore Academy has joined the grand parade, he said the experience was “overwhelming” for them adding that they are overjoyed for the opportunity. (CEBU NEWS)