Sinulog 2011

Three days passed and I can still smell the fresh occurrences of the Sinulog Festival. An estimated 3.2 million people from all walks of life witnessed the festivity to honor the Santo Nino, or the child Jesus, who used to be the patron saint of the whole province of Cebu (since in the Catholic faith Jesus is not a saint, but God). The main festival is held each year on the third Sunday of January and as a devotee, I feel I am obligated to take part of the event. Year after year, I always make sure I'd blow something up (naughty or otherwise) just to make it as memorable as it could. And this year by far is the most unforgettable.

We all know what kind of mayhem ensues during this festival, so my friends and I decided to grab entry tickets to the Sports Complex. It was 8:30 in the morning when we got to the place and to my surprise, the seats were almost full! Luckily, we managed to go pass the crowd and fnd a comfortable spot just enough to compensate our 360-degree geometric sight.

Crowd Control at post

We were just in time for the mass and it was the new archbishop who staged the ceremony. Shortly, the whole place was filled with excitement when the emcee foretold the arrival of President Noynoy Aquino. A few minutes passed and a swank of motorcars caught everyone's attentions. Everyone was waving their hands as the president went to the stage with his PSGs and delivered a message to the Cebuanos. Little did I know he can speak Bisaya with fluency. Not bad, Mr President. :)

After the short speech, I went out of the complex and flew my way to the streets where the parade of costumes and smiles took place. Of course, I wouldn't want to miss the chance to try my newly bought Nikon DSLR. So I took photos and walked a distance of 2 kilometers alone notwithstanding the drizzling weather and the burden of carrying 2 bags. (All photos in this entry are mine unless otherwise specified)

Festival Queen of Inayawan - Tribu Basurero

Festival Queen 2 - (forgot the tribu name)

Higante Category. First place -

The rain went havoc an hour later but that didn't stop me from seeing the giant statues and the different contingents in their street dancing. After taking 500 shots, my camera battery drained so I decided to go back to the complex. I was totally disported upon noticing how the participants, young and old, showed their unique style that spoke volumes of their personalities.

(Sleepy...) This is about it for now.