Mandaue spending P7M for Sinulog ’25 contingent

CEBU, Philippines — Mandaue City has confirmed its participation in Sinulog 2025, allocating a budget of ?7 million for the event.

Kristian Marc Cabahug, executive director of the Mandaue Investment Promotions and Tourism Action Center, told reporters yesterday that the increased budget reflects the city’s determination to win and outperform its presentation in Sinulog 2024.

Last January, the city allocated ?5 million for Sinulog, but an additional ?2 million has been added for 2025, bringing the total budget to ?7 million.

“We wanted to add more, kay gusto g’yud mi, gusto sa Mandaue nga modaog,” Cabahug said.

He added that the increase in the budget will allow for better quality props and costumes, he also promised new surprises for Sinulog 2025.

Cabahug recalled that during their last Sinulog sa Lalawigan performance, they featured drones and fireworks as part of their presentation.

“It’s a trademark for Mandaue nga naa g’yud mi pakulo, this year is going be different,” said Cabahug.

However, Cabahug mentioned that they are still in the planning stage and are set to finalize their concept within this week.

After the Christmas break, the Mandaue Cultural Dance Troupe will begin their full-time practice, scheduled from 4 P.M. to 2 A.M.

The executive director said that there are at least 100 dancers who are officially employed by the city, and they will be tapped to perform for Sinulog 2025. The same number of propsmen will also be involved in the production.

Even with just a month left for preparation, he is confident that the performance will still be impressive. He explained that this is because the dancers are already familiar with performing throughout the year, participating in events like the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo and cultural shows in the city.

“Because year-round man gud ang mga practice sa mga bata g’yud, so every day naa g’yud silay practice ba but karon mas ganahan g’yud sa Mandaue nga madaog,” said Cabahug.

He said that their preparations will be longer this time, as for Sinulog 2024, they only had eight days to practice but they still managed to place fourth.

Additionally, Cabahug said that 2025 will mark their return to the event as they participated in the Sinulog sa Lalawigan during 2024. Mandaue City will join the Grand Ritual Showdown for the Sinulog-Based category.

The Mandaue Cultural Dance Troupe is composed of dancers ranging in age from 18 to 30 years old.

Hiring the dancers was conceptualized by the city as an avenue for out-of-school youth from various barangays in Mandaue, giving them the opportunity to work while also expressing themselves through dance. — (FREEMAN)