Sinulog 2012 Schedule of Activities

Photo by Mikhail Arrogante, 2011 Grand Prize Winner
Photo courtesy of Sinulog Foundation Inc.

In a wink of an eye, Sinulog will be happening in Cebu City, the biggest happening in the south of the Philippines. If you are planning to visit and be part of the celebrations, I think you need to adjust your schedules because the Sinulog is happening earlier this year.

To update you of the events, I am posting here the schedule. Enjoy. And Pit Senyor!

December 1, 2011 – January 31, 2012   Sinulog Street Fair, Osmeña Boulevard

December 11, 2011   2nd Sinulog Cup Baseball Tournament c/o Cebu City Sports Commission

December 16, 2011   Launching and Sinulog Photo Exhibits @SM City

December 12, 2011   Sinulog on the Spot Painting Contest @ Fort San Pedro

December 17, 2011   Sinulog Poster Making Contest @ Emall

December 18, 2011   Sinulog Best Dance Crew Elimination, Sinulog Musicfest Elimination

December 30, 2011   Sinulog 2012 Fun Run

January 05, 2012 (Thursday)   Opening Salvo: Walk with Jesus   

4:00 AM   Assembly Time (Area) Fuente Osmeña

4:30 AM   Start of Walk-Fuente Osmeña Blvd. – Basilica del Sto. Niño

5:30 AM   Installation of Hermano & Hermana Mayores 2012

January 06, 2012 (Friday)   Sinulog 2012 Kick Off

2:00PM      Solemn Mass (Basilica del Sto. Niño) sponsored by the Sinulog Foundation Inc . and Cebu City Government

3:00 PM     Launching Parade (Basilica del Sto. Niño to Cebu City Sports Center)

7:00 PM    Opening and Launching Program, Fuente Osmeña

7:30 PM    Ms. Cebu 2012 Presentation

9 :00 PM    Sinulog Idol (Fuente Osmeña Circle)

10:00 PM    Street Party Bands

January 07, 2012 (Saturday)   Sinulog sa Kabataan – Lalawigan

8:00 AM    2nd SINULOG FOOTBALL CUP c/o Cebu City Sports Commission

1:00 PM    Parade of Participants, Capitol Site to Cebu City Sports Center

2:00 PM    Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan, Cebu City Sports Center

4:30 PM    Awarding of Winners

6:30 PM    Cultural Show (Fuente Osmeña) Department of Education, Cebu Province Division           

8:00 PM    Sinulog Idol (Fuente Osmeña Circle)

9:00 PM    Concert @ the Fuente Osmeña , Street Party Bands

January 08, 2012 (Sunday)   Sinulog sa Kabataan- Dakbayan

4:00 AM   Cebu City 2012 Marathon – www.cebumarathon.com

8:00 AM   2nd SINULOG FOOTBALL CUP c/o Cebu City Sports Commission

1:00 PM   Parade of Participants, Plaza Independencia to Cebu City Sports Center

2:00 PM   Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Dakbayan, Cebu City Sports Center

4:30 PM   Awarding of Winners

6:30 PM   Cultural Show (Fuente Osmeña) University of San Carlos

8:00 PM   Sinulog Idol (Fuente Osmeña Circle)

9:00 PM   Concert @ the Fuente O, Street Party Bands

January 09, 2012 (Monday)

6:30 PM   Cultural Show (Fuente Osmeña) University of Southern Philippines Foundation, Cebu Institute of Technology University, St. Paul’s College Foundation

8:00 PM   Sinulog Idol (Fuente Osmeña Circle)

9:00 PM   Concert @ the Fuente O , Street Party Bands

January 10, 2012 (Tuesday)

6:30 PM   Cultural show (Fuente Osmeña) University of Cebu

8:00 PM   Sinulog Idol (Fuente Osmeña Circle)

9:00 PM   Concert @ the Fuente O , Street Party Bands

January 11, 2012 (Wednesday)

9:00 AM   Airport Welcome (Balikbayan Flights)

6:30 PM   Cultural Shows (Fuente Osmeña) Department of Education, Cebu City Division

7:00 PM   Ms. Cebu 2012 Coronation Night, Cebu City Waterfront Lahug Hotel

8:00 PM   Sinulog Idol (Fuente Osmeña Circle)

9:00 PM   Concert @ the Fuente O , Street Party Bands

January 11-22, 2012   Sinulog Fiesta “OTOP Fair 2012” Atrium A & B, SM City Cebu; organized by Department of Trade & Industry -Cebu

January 12, 2012 (Thursday)

9:00 AM   Airport Welcome (Balikbayan Flights)

6:30 PM   Cultural Shows (Fuente Osmeña) Salazar Colleges of Science Institute of Technology, Cebu Normal University, Asian College of Technology

6:00 PM   Balik Cebu, Welcome Party @ Ayala Center Cebu

10:00 PM   Sinulog Festival Queen 2012 Photo Shoot

6:00 PM   Runway Competition @SM  City North Wing

8:00 PM   Sinulog Idol (Fuente Osmeña Circle)

8:00 PM   Handumanan @ Ayala Terraces

9:00 PM   Concert @ the Fuente Osmeña , Street Party Bands

January 13, 2012 (Friday)   Visual Merchandising Contest (Department Stores and Malls)

4:00 AM   Walk with Mary (Area) Fuente Osmeña-Sto. Niño

9:00 AM   Solidarity Meeting (All Competing Contingent/Floats/Higante/Puppteeters, Cebu City Sports Center Gym

5:00 PM   Sinulog Best Dance Crew Grand Finals

6:00 PM   Sinulog Musicfest Band Competition Grand Finals

6:30 PM   Cultural Shows (Fuente Osmeña) University of San Jose Recoletos, Southwestern University, Cebu Technological University

7:30 P.M   Cebu Popular Music Festival, Cebu Coliseum

7:30 P.M   Sinulog Festival Queen 2012, Cebu City Sports Center

8:00 PM   Sinulog Idol (Fuente Osmeña Circle)

9:00 PM   Concert @ the Fuente O , Street Party Bands

January 13-15, 2012

9:00 AM   Devotees’ City organized by Cebu City Government

January 14, 2012 (Saturday)

6:00 AM   Fluvial Procession of the Miraculous Image of Sto. Niño

9:00 AM   Re-enactment of the Baptism of Queen Juana and Rajah Humabon, Basilica del Sto. Niño

12:00 NN   8TH “THE STREET VIBRATION & BIG BIKE RALLY 2012, by V-max Owner’s Group, Inc. Cebu Chapter

2:00 PM   Solemn Procession of the Miraculous Image of Sto. Niño

7:00 PM   Sinulog Fireworks Competition @ SM City Cebu

7:00 PM   Street party @ Fuente Osmeña and Plaza Independencia

8:00 PM   Kasadya Nite Mardi Gras @ Ayala Center Cebu

January 15, 2012 (Sunday)   SINULOG GRAND PARADE

4:00 AM   Mañanita Mass @Basilica del Sto. Niño

6:00 AM   Pontifical mass with His Eminence Ricardo J. Cardinal Vidal

9:00 AM   Sinulog Grand Parade Carousel Kick Off

7:00 PM   Grand Finale and Fireworks, Cebu City Sports Center

7:30 PM   Street Party Bands, Fuente Osmeña

January 16, 2012 (Monday)

1:00 PM   Awarding Ceremonies, Cebu City Sports Center

January 20, 2012 (Friday)   “HUBO”

4:00 AM   “HUBO Mass” Ritual @ Basilica del Sto. Niño

January 21-22, 2012   CEBU CHESS FESTIVAL - “WORLD’S LARGEST CHESS TOURNAMENT” @ the Cebu City Sports Center

January 28, 2012 (Saturday)

1:00 P.M   Screening of Finalists Short Film/Video Documentary Contest

1:30 P.M   Sinulog 2012 Winning Photo Exhibits

6:00 P.M   Awarding Ceremonies Photo Contest and Video Documentary Contest @SM City Cebu   

   

January 28 – Feb. 10, 2012   Photo Exhibits “Winning Photos Sinulog ’12 @SM City Cebu.

The festival has begun

Three days before the Sinulog Mardi Gras, the streets of Cebu are already bursting with the sights and sounds and smell of fiesta. No, wait, the celebrations has started since last week actually.

So if you are planning to visit Cebu City this weekend be prepared to master the art of eluding massive crowds or else have your patience extended 700 times seven.

Pit Senyor!

At the night market in Colon Street

Every Christmas season, Colon, the Philippines' oldest street is closed to vehicle traffic during the night to make way for the so-called night market, a fun way of legalizing pirated merchandise, from DVDs to wearables. And then there is street food. 

We went there last night to have a barbecue dinner. I tell you, that place is not the cleanest of all streets in Cebu, so be careful. I requested the Manang who was holding my chicken not to dab it with their secret marinade. I want it plain and real was my pakulo no matter how secret their recipe be.

As to dinnerware, the plates were wrapped in plastic (heavens be praised) adding another non-biodegradables to the environment. But we were there to eat and people watch not to lecture about the effects of plastic on the environment. You have no choice, actually. Worst, you have to wear another plastic with your hands because you have seen how they wash their spoon and fork on the sides. Well, as a precaution to the ignorant among us, eating on the side streets should be done by hand, just like anywhere and everywhere in the country. Unless of course if you ordered soup.

So there, we ate our food and downed it with soda hoping our stomachs would be okay. We were okay!

One thing for sure, and the fun thing to do was watching people wandering around like lost sheep. Some are chatter-sheep, some meek as lambs, buying things or just roaming about the night market, all of them the curious kind. I am sure someone was also watching us.

Go try.

(The night market opens at 6 in the evening until the wee hours of the morning from December to the Sinulog Festival.)

My Sinulog firsts

I am grateful of Laguna Garden Cafe at their SM City branch for the opportunity to try and loved Puto Bumbong. 

During my elementary days, puto bumbong was always mentioned in books. I think this is a Tagalog delicacy since I never heard or seen the Visayans cooking it. 

Puto bumbong is actually a suman and not a puto although it tastes like a puto maya only that it has butter (or margarine?) on it and grated fresh coconut. It goes well with that smokey cup of tsokolate.

Another first for me is going to Pasil area in Cebu answering to the invitation of a good friend Ryan Racal. I heard so much of the area and some of them were not good.

But when I went there, my bad impression of the place was gone. The people there are all friendly, warm and true. I had a good time with them and even celebrated with them in their street party. I felt intoxicated by the warm hospitality and the drinks they served.

Went home wasted but happy.

Sinulog is here!

I was jolted out of bed at 4 in the morning because of the pounding of drums somewhere down in Guadalupe area. WTF! But I realized that today is Friday, the last day of the novena of the Señor Santo Niño of Cebu. Officially, today is the feast day.

I went to the novena mass last night despite the rain and the massive crowd (as in MASSIVE!) and wondered why this country is so religious but is very slow when it comes to prosperity. Does religiosity have to do with development? Does religion have a hand with government corruption? And I mean corruption not only in government. Even that street vendor somewhere is very corrupt, for Christsakes!

Maybe because our being religious is only skin-deep? The pratices the Spaniards taught us were imbedded in our culture but never in our psyche. Ambivalent right? Or were they a mere reflection of what our invaders did in their time and we think it should be okay to be corrupt because we pray for the forgiveness of our sins daily? Daily! Do what I say, is that it?

Anyways- Sinulog is here and time to get ready with that sturdy walking shoes. What you mean you don't know what I mean? Sinulog is basically your exercise time since most of the streets in Cebu are closed for the celebration. The usual 15 minute-ride home would now mean 2 hours of waiting in the taxi. Better walk. Another excuse to do cardio.

And please bring your rainy day gadgets despite Pagasa declaring we would be experiencing warmer weather. It has been raining since Monday and getting worst today.

Pit Señor everyone!

The Frenzy That Was Sinulog