It was exactly five christmases and four fiesta Sinulog since the last time I was home in my beloved Cebu, the Queen City of the South.
Aboard Cebu Pacific's A320, flight 5J-581 left Manila exactly 2PM of January the 17th. Homeward bound, with excitement, I composed myself and get it ready to take the challenge, and live it..
I ALSO AM A PROUD CEBUANO !
The Best of Cebu !
SINULOG is the country's most celebrated festival on the entire island of the province of Cebu, and as per record (Sunstar Cebu 1.20.08) there were about a million people who have joined the three-hour solemn procession of the Señor Santo Niño to the Basilica Menoria on the night of the Vesperas despite a slight drizzle... and that, of course, includes me.
I was lucky enough to be closely at the forefront despite tight security. Or maybe I was just too good in singitan... but my special thanks goes out to SPO Reboquio.
Just like all the Cebuano's and devotees present, you're not gonna call it a good night without the "pagdagkot sa kandila" (candlelight) and the "paghalad ug sayaw sa Señor Santo Niño" (dance offering), doing a two-step forward/ one-step backward ethnic dance as you sway out arms up and down, to the upbeat sinulog rhythm while singing your heart out "Pit Señor! Sinulog! Isiyagit ug kusog..."
Sunday 20 January 2008 6AM: Attending the second mass for the day, celebrated by His Eminence Ricardo Cardinal Vidal of the Archdiocese of Cebu, started my long day (YES! without attending any of those tempting street parties in the city sponsored by both the big telecoms and tv rivals). Afterward, I took Leenard out for a breakfast before we joined the crowd seen lining the parade route even before it started and swelled even further a noon with vercast skies.
Leenard's hand tucked in my cargo pants' left pocket as we strolled the parade route, we got the chance of seeing some celebrities and politicians present during the celebration as well.
Some, I t ook pictures of not because I found them cute or pretty, but they interests me. And, oh, I so love Miss International Melanie Marquez that I even asked her for another angle, which she gladly gave in with one big smile on her beautiful face.
2010 Presidential wannabe Mar Roxas, who stopped his motorcycle when asked for a picture, which others followed taking in, but talked to a girl who asked him to send her regards to girlfriend/ tv news anchor Korina Sanchez... huh? Pinoy na pinoy! Spotted as well were local actresses Angel Locsin shook hands while Pauleen Luna signed authograph, and this cute boxingero, though I honestly do not know who he was..
And then there was the rosy cheeked Angelica Panganiban and Juan Miguel Zubiri among others. But, no way I'm gonna waste an effort or even a single kilobyte of memory on my humble camera phone for the... duh!!
Faces and Smiles...
The Festival Queens
Taking all these pictures of the contingents' festival queens perhaps made Leenard jealous, and everytime I take one, he grips in and would always call his mother's name, and wanting to go home... waaaahhh!!!
SEE YOU IN CEBU to the SINULOG 2009 !
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