sinulog-2010-cebu-city

Cebu City (Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Sugbo; Filipino: Lungsod ng Cebú) is the capital city of Cebu and the second city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest city in the country.

The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines. Cebu is the Philippines' main domestic shipping port and is home to about 80% of the country's domestic shipping companies. Cebu also holds the second largest international flights in the Philippines and is a significant centre of commerce, trade and industry in the Visayas and Mindanao region. According to the 2007 Philippine census, the city has a population of about 798,809 people.

Cebu City is the centre of a metropolitan area called Metro Cebu, which includes the cities of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu and Talisay. Metro Cebu has a total population of about 2 million people. The Mactan-Cebu International Airport, located in Lapu-Lapu City is only a twenty-minute drive away from Cebu City. To the northeast of the city are Mandaue City and the town of Consolacion, to the west are Toledo City, the towns of Balamban and Asturias, to the south are Talisay City and the town of Minglanilla. Across Mactan Strait to the east is Mactan Island where Lapu-Lapu City and an aquarium attraction are located.

History

A 19th-century map of Cebu City.

Before being colonized by Spain in the 16th century, Cebu was a an island kingdom with Islamic, Hindu and Animist populations. On April 7, 1521, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan landed in Cebu. He was welcomed by Rajah Humabon, the King of Cebu, who together with his wife and about 700 native islanders, were baptized by the Spaniards on April 14, 1521. Magellan, however, failed to successfully claim the Philippines for the crown of Spain, having been slain by Datu Lapu-Lapu, lord of Mactan Island on April 27, 1521 in the Battle of Mactan.

On April 27, 1565, Spanish explorers led by Miguel López de Legazpi, together with Augustinian Friar Andrés de Urdaneta, sailing from Mexico, landed in Cebu. The Spaniards established settlements, trade flourished and renamed the city on January 1, 1571, from San Miguel (Saint Michael) to Villa del Santísimo Nombre de Jesús (Village of the Most Holy Name of Jesus). During this six year period of exploration and conquest by the Spaniards, Cebu City was the capital of the Spanish East Indies.

Cebu City attained the status of a charter city in 1936.

Culture

Magellan's Cross Kiosk in the 1900s.

Cebu City is a significant cultural centre in the Philippines. The city's most famous landmark is Magellan's Cross. This cross, now housed in a chapel, was supposedly planted by Ferdinand Magellan when he arrived in the Philippines in 1521. It was encased in hollow tindalo wood in 1835 upon the order of the Augustinian Bishop Santos Gómez Marañon to prevent devotees from taking it home chip by chip. The same bishop restored the present template or kiosk, located at the present Magellan street between City Hall and Colegio del Santo Niño. Revered by Filipinos, the Cross of Magellan is a symbol of the beginning of Christianity in the Philippines.

A few steps away from the Magellan's Cross is the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño (Church of the Holy Child), an Augustinian church which was elevated to the rank of basilica in 1965 during the 400th year celebrations of Christianity in the Philippines, held in Cebu. The church, which was the first to be established in the islands. It is built of hewn stone, and features the country's oldest relic, the image of the Santo Niño de Cebu (Holy Child of Cebu).

This religious event is celebrated on the islands cultural festivities known as the Sinulog festival, held every third Sunday of January which celebrates the festival of the Santo Niño, the patron saint of Cebu. The Sinulog is a dance ritual of pre-Hispanic indigenous origin. The dancer moves two steps forward and one step backward to the rhythmic sound of drums. This movement resembles somewhat the current (sulog) of the river. Thus, the Cebuanos called it Sinulog.

Procession during the Feast Day of the Santo Niño.

When the Spaniards arrived in Cebu, the Italian chronicler, Antonio Pigafetta, sailing under convoy with the Magellan expedition, offered, as a baptismal gift, to Hara Amihan, wife of Rajah Humabon and later named Juana, the image of the Santo Niño. The natives likewise honored the Santo Niño de Cebu in their indigenous Sinulog ritual. The Sinulog ritual was preserved but limited to honoring the Santo Niño. Once the Santo Niño church was built in the 1500s, the Christian Malay people started performing the Sinulog ritual in front of the church, the devotees offering candles and the native dancers shouting "Viva Pit Señor!" (Hail Mister).

In the 1980s and 2000s, the city authorities of Cebu made the Sinulog Festival part and parcel of the religious feast of the Santo Niño de Cebú to its cultural event.

Government

Cebu provincial capitol building.

Cebu City is an independent and chartered city. Registered voters of the city cannot vote for provincial candidates unlike its nearby counterparts (Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu and Talisay cities) that form part of Metro Cebu. It is the capital of the province mainly because the provincial capitol is located in it. There were proposals however during the time of Governor Emilio Mario Osmeña to establish an "administrative district" that would be independent from Cebu City. This would literally mean carving out Cebu City's Barangay Capitol where the provincial capitol and other provincial offices are located. The plan however didn't push through and was even followed by other proposals like the transfer of the capital to Balamban.

Cebu City is governed mainly by city hall, composed of one mayor, one vice-mayor and sixteen councilors (eight representing the northern and eight representing the southern region). Each official is elected publicly to three year terms. The chief of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) and the President of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation also managed in the city council. The day to day administration of the city is handled by a city administrator.

Tomas Osmeña is the mayor of Cebu City. He was elected in 1988 and re-elected in the 2004 Philippine elections. Michael Rama is the vice mayor.^[1]^[2]

Economy

Cebu City considered as one of the most progressive cities in the Philippines. It's rivalry city is Davao City since Davao city holds the record as the progressive city in the south with high income compare to Cebu City. About 80 percent of the island vessels operating in the country are also based there. Recently, the entry of business process outsourcing (BPO) firms such as call centres have contributed much to the growth of the local economy. Such has made the city together with the nearby cities that form part of Metro Cebu as the country's second important economic centre.

It was built by the city's government through a loan and is envisioned to play a driving role in the economy especially that congestion, given the fact that most of the city's land area is mountainous, would definitely be an issue in the future.

Geography

Cebu City is politically subdivided into 80 barangays.

North district

Adlaon
Agsungot
Apas
Bacayan
Banilad
Binaliw
Budla-an
Busay
Cambinocot
Capitol Site
Carreta
Cogon Ramos
Day-as
Ermita
Guba
Hipodromo
Kalubihan
Kamagayan
Kamputhaw (Camputhaw)
Kasambagan
Lahug
Lorega San Miguel
Lusaran
Luz
Mabini
Mabolo Proper
Malubog
Pahina Central
Pari-an
Paril
Pit-os
Pulangbato
Sambag 1
Sambag 2
San Antonio
San José
San Roque
Sirao
Santa Cruz
Santo Niño
T. Padilla
Talamban
Taptap
Tejero
Tinago
Zapatera

South district

Babag
Basak-Pardo
Basak San Nicolas
Bonbon
Buhisan
Bulacao
Buot-Taup
Calamba
Cogon Pardo
Duljo-Fatima
Guadalupe
Inayawan
Kalunasan
Kinasang-an
Labangon
Mambaling
Pahina San Nicolas
Pamutan
Pasil
Poblacion Pardo
Pung-ol Sibugay
Punta Princesa
Quiot
San Nicolas Proper
Sapangdaku
Sawang Calero
Sinsin
Suba
Sudlon I
Sudlon II
Tabunan
Tagba-o
Tisa
Toong

Cebu City has a land area of 291.2 square kilometres and about 55.9 square kilometres is classified as urban, while 235.2 square kilometres is classified as rural. To the northeast of the city are Mandaue City and the town of Consolacion, to the west are Toledo City, the towns of Balamban and Asturias, to the south are Talisay City and the town of Minglanilla. Across Mactan Strait to the east is Mactan Island where Lapu-Lapu City is located. Further east across the Cebu Strait is the Island of Bohol.

The city is politically subdivided into 80 barrios or barangays. These are grouped into two congressional districts, with 46 barrios or barangays in the northern district and 34 barrios or barangays in the southern district.

Infrastructure

Mactan-Cebu International Airport

The Cebu Metropolitan Area has all the necessary infrastructures sufficient enough for its pace of urbanization. The city is readily accessible by air via the Mactan-Cebu International Airport located in Lapu-Lapu City which has direct international flights to Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, China, Palau, Malaysia, Taiwan, Qatar, South Korea and other domestic destinations. There are many international and cargo airlines flying to Cebu, such as Cathay Pacific, Silk Air, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways, Korean Air, China Southern Airlines, Asiana Airlines, China Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and FedEx, 2GO, Pacific East Asia Cargo Airlines respectively. There are also direct transfer flights via the capital's Ninoy Aquino International Airport that readily connects the city to other destinations in the world. The city mostly gets its power from an interconnection grid with the Leyte Geothermal Power Plant which also powers the majority of the Visayas Islands. There are also coal-fired power plants though these have been controversial due to its impact to the environment. Another coal-fired power plant is nearing completion and is envisioned to make the city independent from the interconnection grid once completed. Distribution of electricity is provided by the Visayas Electric Company (VECO).

The city is served by a domestic and international port which are handled by the Cebu Port Authority. Much of the city's waterfront is actually occupied by the port with around 3.5 kilometres of berthing space. The domestic port readily gives access to nearby islands and provinces. The city's central location makes it as an ideal transshipment hub. It is in fact home to more than 80% of the country's interisland vessels plying domestic routes mostly in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Cebu Coastal Road at the SRP (South Road Properties).

The South Road Properties (SRP)is a 300-hectare prime property development project on a reclaimed land located a few metres off the coast of Cebu's central business district. It is registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and is funded by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation(JBIC).^[3] Traversing the property is a 12 kilometres, four-lane highway known as the Cebu Coastal Road that provides the motorists with a good view of Cebu's south coast and the nearby island of Bohol.

Telecommunication facilities, broadband and wireless internet connections are available and are provided by some of the country's largest telecommunication companies.

In the 1990s the Inayawan Sanitary Landfill was constructed to ease garbage disposal within the city. It is however nearing its lifespan although the Provincial Government is planning to build two sanitary landfills to serve both the northern and southern parts of Metro Cebu including Cebu City. In June 2005, the city fully implemented the segregation of wastes as mandated by law.

Mass transportation throughout the city and the metropolitan itself is provided by jeepneys, buses and taxis. There were previous plans of setting up a mass railway system but it was deemed not feasible as of the moment due to the high construction cost that it will entail and the uncertainty of making the routes profitable.

Education

University of San Carlos in Cebu City.

University of San José Recoletos in Cebu City.

Cebu Normal University in Osmeña Boulevard.

Cebu City is one of three centers of education in the country, the other is being the Manila Metropolitan Area and Metropolitan Davao. It currently has nine large universities each with a number of campus branches throughout the city and more than a dozen other schools and colleges specializing in various courses such as Medicine, Engineering, Nautical courses, Nursing, Law, Computer and IT and among others.

Among these schools is the oldest educational institution in the Philippines, the University of San Carlos. It has four campuses around the metropolitan area. Before gaining university status, it was originally called Colegio de San Ildefonso and was established in 1595 by the Jesuits. It is currently headed by the SVD.

The University of the Philippines, Visayas, located at Camputhaw in the district of Lahug in Cebu City currently has 8 courses and has plans of expansion and development.

Another catholic university in Cebu City is the University of San José-Recoletos which was established in 1947. According to its profile, it offers an academic environment equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and technologies conducive to the academic development in consonance with the Roman Catholic faith. It is currently headed by the Augustinian Recollects and has 2 different campuses within the city excluding a new campus outside the city located in the Municipality of Balamban.

Cebu Normal University was established in 1915 as a provincial normal school, a branch of the Philippine Normal School. It became an independent institution in 1924, a chartered college in 1976 and a university in 1998. It is one of the oldest educational institutions in Cebu City.

The newest university, Cebu Doctors' University (formerly Cebu Doctors' College) was granted university status on November 2004. It is the only medical university in the Philippines and has just recently relocated to a nine-storey main building at the Cebu Boardwalk in neighboring Mandaue City thus closing its old campus near the then Cebu Doctors' Hospital (now Cebu Doctors' University Hospital).

The University of Cebu in Banilad opened in June 2002, first had a modern eight-storey building. With the projected increase in enrollment in SY 2004-2005, a nine-storey building was constructed in the same campus. This is one of the campuses that the University of Cebu (UC) have. The University of Cebu's main campus offers a variety of courses such as Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT), HRM, Computer Engineering, BSED and others.

The Asian College of Technology, established in 1988 as the Asian Institute of Technology, is known for its best computer training. It has two campuses in the city, one located in Bulacao and the other along P. del Rosario St.

Also located in the city is the University of the Visayas and University of Southern Philippines Foundation in Lahug and Mabini Campus.

Other noteworthy institutions in the city includes Velez College, Southwestern University and the Cebu Institute of Technology.

Many foreign students also come to Cebu City to study. Most of them are Iranians and Nepalese who come to take up medical courses. In recent years, many Koreans have come to Cebu to study English.

Cebu City has 68 public elementary schools, 23 national high schools and 28 night high schools. These night high schools are operated by the city government.

Tourism

Waterfront Cebu City Hotel, site of the 1998 ASEAN Tourism Forum.

SM City Cebu.

Inside the Cebu Taoist Temple in Beverly Hills.

Tourism continues to contribute much to the local economy, not just of the city itself, but to the entire province. Because of this, the city hosted the 1998 ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF). The city also hosted the East Asian Tourism Forum (EATOF) on August 2002, in which the province of Cebu is a member and signatory.

On early 2007, Cebu Plaza hotel was formally reopened under a new name, Marco Polo Plaza, after more than two years of closure. The hotel complex was formerly occupied by Cebu Plaza which was the first deluxe hotel in the province. It opened in the early 1980s and was viewed by some as a symbol of the province's economic growth.

There are a number of significant Spanish colonial buildings in Cebu City, including the Basilica Minore del Santo Nino, Fort San Pedro, Casa Gorordo Museum and Magellan's Cross.^[4]^[5]

There are a number of shopping centres in the city, the most popular of which are the SM City Cebu, Ayala Center Cebu, Robinsons Plaza and Gaisano Malls. There are also other smaller shopping centres and stand-alone department stores. Throughout the years however, the establishment of large shopping centres offers some sort of a town centre environment which have become popular. Recent development and expansion of existing shopping centres have also given the shoppers a new variety of choices in the city such as SM Cebu's "Northwing", a multi-level annex building with multilevel parking and Ayala Center Cebu's "Leisure Oasis", a development that consists of redefining Cebu's shopping experience through the newly re-designed Ayala Shopping complex. There is also the Carbon Market, a farmer's market in the city.^[4]

Away from the city, is the Cebu Taoist Temple, a Buddist temple situated in Beverly Hills. The Taoist Temple gives a commanding view of Cebu City and the nearby cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu. Views of Cebu City can also be seen from villages and gated communities located on the mountains.

The Cebu Reggae Festival is a popular Filipino Reggae and Roots music festival, formerly known as the "Cebu Bob Marley Day Festival", it now has become one of the Philippines's largest annual Reggae Festivals, in Cebu City, dubbed "The Reggae Capital of the Philippines".

The city also has a sport institution, the Cebu City Sports Complex which exhibits sporting and festival events.

Sister Cities (International)

Sister Cities (National)

References

^ globalnation.inquirer.net, Davide is acting Cebu City mayor Osmeña in US, Rama off to Korea
^ globalnation.inquirer, Osmenas leave for US amid prayer
^ Cebu City Government Official Website, [1], http://www.cebucity.gov.ph/
^ ^a ^b Chris Rowthorn, Greg Bloom, et al., Philippines: Lonely planet, p. 232 (9th ed. 2006), ISBN 9781741042894, found at page&q=Lonely%20Planet%20Philippines%209th%20edition&f=false Google Books; see also Lonely Planetwebsite page on Cebu City attractions. Accessed September 28, 2009.
^ Department of Tourism Philippines official website page on Cebu. Accessed September 28, 2009.

External links

Cebu City official government website

Santo Niño de Cebu

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 13:56:30 +0100

Santo Niño de Cebú

The Santo Niño was given by Magellan to the chieftain of Cebu, Rajah Humabon (Carlos), and Hara Amihan (Juana) in 1521.

Ferdinand Magellan

The Santo Niño de Cebú ("Holy Child of Cebu") is a Roman Catholic figure of the Child Jesus. The figure is clothed in robes, for centuries the Santo Niño served as the patron saint of Cebu and continues to be celebrated at the Sinulog, the primary festival of Cebú. It is located at the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño in Cebu City, Cebu, in the Philippines.

History

In April 1521, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, in the service of Charles I of Spain, arrived in Cebu during his voyage to find a westward route to the Indies [1]. He persuaded Rajah Humabon and his wife Hara Amihan, to pledge their allegiance with Spain. They were later baptized into the Catholic faith, taking the Christian names Carlos and Juana. Magellan gave Juana the Santo Niño as a symbol of the alliance. However, Magellan died during a dispute with tribes in Mactan Island.

The Spaniards returned to the Philippines in February 1565. Cebu was the settlement of Basque explorer Miguel López de Legazpi, who would later founded Manila. He defeated Rajah Tupas, the chieftain of Cebu and nephew of Rajah Humabon, on April 27, and occupied the villages. The Santo Niño was found by Juan Camus a soldier of López de Legazpi, relatively unscathed in a burnt-out hut. This event was quickly acknowledged as miraculous, and a church was later constructed on the area of the discovery. Today, the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño is a historical and religious landmark in Cebu, with devotees forming long line up to pay their respects to the Holy Child.

Feast

The Holy See has approved special liturgical texts for use during the local Feast of the Santo Niño in the Philippines, set on the third Sunday of January. The festival that follows is known as the Sinulog, which combines the festivities and religious devotion of the Cebuano people.

Patron saint

The Santo Niño was considered to be the patron saint of Cebu. However, the Santo Niño is a representation of Jesus Christ as a child. The Catholic Church in the Philippines sets the Holy Child as an example of humility, and as a celebration of the Incarnation. Many Cebuanos do not consider the Christmas season over until the Feast of the Santo Niño.

In 2002, the Archbishop of Cebu, Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, declared Jesus' mother Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe as the official patron saint of Cebu. This upset some of the Santo Niño followers, who felt that the declaration demoted the Holy Child. However, the declaration is consistent with Catholic thought requiring a patron saint be a human saint who has gone to his or her heavenly reward and who prays to God on behalf of the living, rather than a divine being himself.

Since the Holy Child is a representation of Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity, he cannot, as God, be considered a patron. In that sense, Cardinal Vidal's move was to actually install a patron saint for Cebu, when before there was none. He did not, however, abolish the feast or the traditional mardigras parade.

External links

References

Sto. Nino de Cebu. http://www.malapascua.de/Cebu/Cebu_6__Santo_Nino/cebu_6__santo_nino.html
Snr. Sto. Nino de Cebu Flickr Discussion Page. http://www.flickr.com/groups/ssndc/discuss/

Basilica of Santo Niño

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 13:51:50 +0100

Basilica of Santo Niño

Basilica Minore del Santo Niño
The Basílica Minore del Santo Niño is the oldest church in the Philippines.
Basic information
Location	Cebu City, Philippines
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
Year consecrated	1565
Ecclesiastical status	Basilica
Status	active
Architectural description
Architectural type	Church
Architectural style	baroque
Specifications
Materials	coral stones

The Basilica of Santo Niño or Basilica del Santo Niño is a 16th century church in Cebu City in the Philippines. It was built on the exact spot where the image of the Santo Niño, a sculpture depicting the Holy Child Jesus was founded by Spanish explorers in 1565 preserved in a burned wooden box which was left behind during the 1521 Magellan expedition.

History

The church of Santo Niño de Cebu was founded by an Augustinian priest, Andrés de Urdaneta on April 28, 1565. The first church structure was built out of earth, hard wood and nipa in 1566 ordered by Friar Diego de Herrera. In 1735, Fernando Valdés y Tamon, the Governor of Cebu, ordered the church to be constructed of hard stone, which was built in the same spot were the previous church stood. Construction was completed in 1739. In 1965, during the fourth centenary of the Christianization of the Philippines, Pope Paul VI elevated the church to the rank of minor basilica.

The Basilica remains under the care of the Order of St. Augustine.

Museum

A museum inside the Basilica showcases the history of Christianity in Cebu. Antique objects are on display, including century-old furniture, priestly vestments and the Santo Nino's old cloaks donated by individuals over the centuries. Religious articles such as statues and relics are also displayed and other items of daily life from the adjacent convento. Several toys may also be seen; these are said to be presents to the Child Jesus, as well as a large Santo Niño rosary composed of 15 beads.

External links

Coordinates: 10°17′38″N 123°54′05″E / 10.29389°N 123.90139°E / 10.29389; 123.90139

Sinulog Festival History

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 14:25:22 +0100

Sinulog is a dance ritual in honor of the miraculous image of the Santo Nino. The dance moves to the sound of the drums and this resembles the current (Sinulog) of what was then known as Cebu’s Pahina River. Thus, in Cebuano, they say it’s Sinulog.

More than just the meaning of the word is the significance of the dance. Historians now say that Sinulog, which is of pagan origin, is the link between the country’s pagan past and its Christian present. Let’s trace its history.

Historical accounts say that before Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan came to Cebu on April 7, 1521 to plant the cross on its shore and claim the country for the King of Spain, Sinulog was already danced by the natives in honor of their wooden idols and anitos. Then Magellan came and introduced Christianity. He gave the Santo Nino (image of the Child Jesus) as baptismal gift to Hara Amihan, wife of Cebu’s Rajah Humabon who was later named Queen Juana. At that time, not only the rulers were baptized but also about 800 of their subjects. Unfortunately, however, shortly after the conversion, Magellan went into a reckless adventure by fighting the reigning ruler of Mactan, Rajah Lapulapu, with only a handful of men. He died in the encounter. That was on April 27, 1521.

The remnants of Magellan’s men were however able to return to Spain to report the incident and the possibility of conquest. It took 44 years before a new group came and started the formal Christianization of the islands. Miguel Lopez de Legaspi arrived in Cebu on April 28, 1565. His ships bombarded the village and in one of the burning huts, one of his soldiers named Juan Camus found inside a wooden box the image of the Santo Nino lying side by side with native idols.

Historians now say that during the 44 years between the coming of Magellan and Legaspi, the natives continued to dance the Sinulog. This time however, they danced it no longer to worship their native idols but a sign of reverence to the Santo Nino which is now enshrined at the San Agustin Church ( renamed Basilica Minore del Santo Nino). Of course, through the years since 1521, the dance was a small ritual danced by a few in front of wooden idols or before the Santo Nino. In fact, at the Santo Nino Church where the image is consecrated, only the candle vendors could be seen dancing the Sinulog and making offerings. During the Santo Nino fiesta which falls on the third Sunday of January, children dressed moro-moro costumes also dance the Sinulog. This was really no big event for Cebu City.

In 1980, however, David S. Odilao Jr., then Regional Director of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development (MYSD), organized the first ever Sinulog parade. He invited the physical education teachers for a meeting to discuss the organization of a Sinulog street dance parade. Nang Titang Diola of Mabolo was invited to give a demonstration at the Cebu Doctor’s College. The steps were analyzed and further enhanced by steps used by the candle vendors who performed in front of the church– The Basilica del Sto. Niño. With seven schools and universities, the physical education teachers spearheaded the first Sinulog Street Dance Parade. With financial support from then MYSD Regional Director David Odilao and Department of Education Culture and Sports, the schools were given an era to represent the history of Cebu from the primitive times to the present. Member schools of the Cebu Physical Education Association the University of San Carlos, Southwestern University, University of San Jose-Recoletos, University of Cebu, University of Southern Philippines, Cebu Institute of Technology and Cebu Doctor’s University. The street dance parade started from the Plaza Independencia and caught the imagination of the City of Cebu, which then thought of making the Sinulog a festival that would rival other festivals being held yearly in the country.

Thus, under the direction of Cebu City Mayor Florentino S. Solon and through the help of Manuel S. Satorre Jr., the late Juan B. Aquino Jr., also late Xavier Ledesma, Robert Grimalt and Antonio R. Aseniero Jr., Odilao turned over the Sinulog project to the Cebu City Hstorical Committee under Kagawad Jesus B. Garcia Jr. through Garcia’s committee, the Sinulog organization came into being. The first task of the organizing committee was how to conceptualize the festival and make it a big event.

The committee then came up with the idea of having a Sinulog logo that would identify the event yearly if it were to be institutionalized. The group didn’t however want to use the Santo Nino image itself because this would have been a sacrilege. And it had to look for something that would identify the project.

This was the coat of arms of the Santo Nino, which is quite visible as they are being embossed in the benches, architecture and banners of the old San Agustin Church. The coat of arms of the Santo Nino bears a two-headed hawk, the mark of the House of Hapsburg (Hamburg) in Europe which then ruled most of the known world from the 15th century to 20th century. Spain was under the Hapsburg dynasty when it sent the expeditions out across the globe to spread the Faith and expand the influence of the dynastic house to be unknown lands beyond the oceans.

The royal origin of the Hapsburg started with the ruling family on Austria in 1276 and for centuries until the 20th century the house rule most of the kingdoms in Europe. The Hapsburg established the Holy Roman Empire in 14552 and it was at the height of their power under Charles 1 of Spain (who was also Holy Roman Emperor Known as Charles V1) the first expedition under Ferdinand Magellan which discovered the Philippines for Spain was sent initially to look for the Spice Island. His son, Philip 11 who ruled Spain for 42 years from 1556, sent Legaspi the second expedition under Miguel Lopez de Legaspi. In fact, the Hapsburg rulers continued to hold power until 1700 not only in Spain but also in the colonies under the Spanish regime while the Austrian line of the Hapsburg dynasty also ruled Central Europe until about the same time.

Thus, the Hapsburg emblem, now the coat of arms of the Santo Nino, was influential in many kingdoms in that time. The two-headed hawk emblem was in some of the banners brought by Magellan’s men to Cebu settlement in 1521. The same emblem was carried all the way from that time, through the Legaspi expedition of 44 years after Magellan and the others that would come to the country in those days such as Loaisa, Saavedra and the Villalobos expeditions.

The emblem of the two-headed hawk at the peak of the power of the Hapsburg dynasty represented the twin purpose of the House, which was to stand as “Champion of Catholicism and Defender of the Faith.”

With the background, the Sinulog committee used a native warrior’s shield on whose face is imprinted the coat of arms of the House of Hapsburg that now represents the Sinulog logo as interpreted by Ms Olive Templa, who coincidentally is a Cebuana. The native shield figure symbolizes the country’s continued resistance to colonization. It speaks of the Filipino’s readiness to defend the country from all forms of foreign incursion and to resist any move that may endanger the country’s self-determination. The coat of arms of the Santo Nino on the face of the shield on the other hand, traditionally symbolizes the country’s acceptance of Christianity as European rulers brought it to the settlements in 1521.

Sinulog ‘81 was then organized. Practically all sectors in the Cebuano community got involved. To distinguish the festival from the popular Ati-atihan Festival in Aklan, the organizers decided to use the parade to depict the history of the Sinulog which, as had been said, is the dance, which links the country’s pagan past and Christian present.

Seven floats were created to depict seven different periods of history. Dancers wearing costumes depicting the periods followed each float. They all danced the same beat. The Sinulog parade started at 1 P.M. at the Cebu Provincial Capitol and ended about past midnight at the Fort San Pedro-Plaza Independencia area. And the show continued until the wee hours of the morning.

To the credit of the Sinulog Foundation prime movers, particularly Executive Director Juan “Dodong” Aquino, Jr. the Sinulog Festival always jazzes up every year or so with new features, all meant to invite wider participation. There’s always something in there for everyone, be he a participant or spectator, be she a verbalist or visualist, an artist or symbolist.

Government agencies, the private sector, commercial and industrial establishments, academic institutions and barangays can pit their skills in making float, the paper mache “higantes” on route arches, on-site decors, fluvial contests and photography. Organizations could also compete in discovering pulchritude via the Miss Sinulog ‘88 now known as Ms. Cebu which was eventually taken as an annual project of the Cebu City Tourism Commission.

The quality of participation definitely gets better year after year. In 1983, the Sinulog project was still relatively new. Naturally, it had its complement of dents and scrapes, among which were participants on floats and on the streets wearing highly inappropriate and outspoken costumes. Wisened by that, the judges thereafter fine-tuned the qualifications to avert any form of irreverence.

Irrelevance, too, was pre-empted. In the first five years the contingents also included “guests” who, as the afternoon drew and grew, reveled too much after having one too many. Also kibitizers weaved themselves through, sometimes against, the flow, smearing black paint on the spectators. The former have been weeded out of the parade, and the latter are thinning out in number. An improvised detention cell right smack by the roadside has been an effective deterrent.

In the early years, Sinulog the ritual and the beat was a total strangers to young and new participants. Too often, it was mistaken for Aklan’s Ati-Atihan, complete with painted faces and war-like, martial beat. Too often, therefore, many a would-be winner, while beautiful in execution and precision, eventually got sidelined by such criteria as relevance and over-all impact.

To prevent repetitions of such sorry instances, Sinulog workshops and demonstrations have been conducted annually thru the help of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the National Commission Culure and the Arts (NCCA) and the Philippine Folk Dacne Society. Greatly instrumental in this activity is Ms.Dolores Suzara, another mainstay Sinulog judge, and P.E. instructor/choreographer. The incidences of “misplaced” contingents have definitely waned since then.

For the first five years, judging was a test of true grit lasting 20 hours. So that the contest could begin, judges had to be up with the birds. And so that the results could officially sign for the next day’s news, the judges had to stay up until 3 or 4 in the morning, bird or no bird. But all judges complained not. They, too, paid homage to the Santo Niño in ways requested of us.

The entry of TMX’s Engr. Rogelio Q. Lim and naturally, technology introduced system and speed in results identification breathe better.

In 1988, the plum prize for first prize winners in the parade participation was only P12,000.00. In the year 2005, it has risen to P500,000. Grand total is close to
P8,000,000.00.

Contest participants used to be purely from Cebu City. For about two decades now, the Festival has brought forth dramatic performances (and eventual winners) from all over the country, such as Surigao City, San Carlos City, Southern Leyte, Agusan del Sur, Camiguin, Iligan City , Tangub City , Tacloban, Ilo-ilo, Paranaque City, Naga City, Masbate, Sultan Kudarat , Iligan, Butuan among others.

Prior to 1986, spectators came from Cebu City and province. Since the Balik-Cebu program in 1986, however, creating direct Cebu-San Francisco flights, the festival has packed in a million pilgrims and thousands of overseas visitors.

With the present set up of the Sinulog Foundation Inc. introduced new contest categories such as the search for the Festival Queen (Sinulog lead dancer), the Puppeteers category, Visual Merchandising Contest (malls and department stores), Photo Contest , the Sinulog Short Film Festivals, the See Cebu on Carousel , huge lighted billboards which features various tourism and historical sites in Cebu displayed along the Carousel parade route. . The Foundation also commissioned artists to come up with a distinct Sinulog music, to date, the Foundation has produced varied Sinulog music, from the traditional beat, to techno funky beat and the overture of Sinulog (music provided by the Philippine Peace Philharmonic orchestra).

For the past three years, since 2006, the Sinulog Grand parade can now be seen live in international audiences thru live TV broadcast and Webcast, reaching out as far as US mainland, Australia , some parts in Europe and some parts in Asia. Website, www.sinulog.ph has also been updated regularly and promotional videos uploaded in Youtube and internet. At present the word Sinulog and the logo is now patented and registered in the Intellectual Property Office, the first ever granted to a Festival.

Crowd control has been the Sinulog organizers’ perennial headache. Varied, tried and tested, the approach and strategies have so far been elusive, however. And yet, this could be the dark side of the moon, the light side being that as the crowd swells year after year by millions, the Sinulog parade and activities became bigger and better. This made Sinulog …the country’s biggest and grandest cultural festival.

What began as a revival of an old dance brought government, business establishments, schools, pilgrims, artists and private individual together like never before. The attempt to enhance cultural awareness gave the Cebuanos a shared passion, a collective identity. In the end the Sinulog did give Cebu a culure. And a name. Pit Senyor!

Source: http://www.sinulog.ph/index.php/history/