Garcia says: Sinulog sa Dakbayan draws record crowds

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia highlighted the overwhelming success of this year’s Sinulog sa Dakbayan, noting a significant increase in attendance compared to previous years.

Speaking after the recently concluded Sinulog sa Dakbayan and Brass Band competition, Garcia shared that the event garnered widespread positive feedback.

“Puno ang grandstand karon, it is overflowing with people even sa ubos, timailhan nga ang atoang mga tawo sa syudad sa Sugbo are very excited on the activities that are coming,” said Garcia.

Garcia emphasized that the festivities, which began in Barangay Mabolo and culminated at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC), went smoothly without major incidents. He likened the experience to the grandeur of the Sinulog Grand Parade, saying, the turnout and overall atmosphere truly made it feel like a grand celebration.

However, a video of an alleged commotion involving participants circulated on social media. Addressing this, Garcia described the incident as isolated and assured the public that it would not overshadow the overall success of the event.

“We will investigate, we will look into it nga di ni mahitabo pag-usab, pero these are isolated cases nga di angay nga atong tagaan og dako kaayo nga importansya,” said Garcia.

The mayor said he already instructed Councilor Joel Garganera, head of the Security Cluster, to look into the matter.  He also assured that those involved in the incident will be called upon for accountability as soon as the security cluster is able to identify them.

Meanwhile, Garcia said that the success of last Sunday’s Sinulog sa Dakbayan is a statement of the feasibility of the Cebu City Sports Center as the primary venue for the Sinulog Grand Showdown.

“They can see it in their eyes unsa ka puno ang grandstand, and it’s not only ang grandstand ang puno, ang Mabolo all the way, naglinya ang mga tawo,” said Garcia.

He added that this excitement and anticipation among the public is what has been “missing” in previous years. Garcia also noted that the Sinulog sa Dakbayan this year drew a greater number of contingents compared to the previous years, with 18 participating, while last year there were only 12.

“This will be the biggest and the grandest… in the history of Cebu City,” said Garcia.

World tent city not utilized

Garcia also confirmed that the World Tent City (WTC) at the South Road Properties (SRP), introduced in 2023, was not used this year due to the lack of budget allocation.

The WTC was initially designed as a space for spectators and tourists to relax while enjoying the Sinulog festivities.

Despite this, Garcia expressed confidence in the success of this year’s celebrations, emphasizing that the excitement and anticipation among Cebuanos marked the return of Sinulog’s vibrant spirit. — (FREEMAN)