Experience the grandest festival in the Philippines - Sinulog!

© CEBU navi SAKURA ｜ vol.19 Jan.-Feb. | 2019

Supported by a long history of around 500 years, people's affections and the miracle of the Santo Niño. The warm revery of the Santo Niño and the lively movements of the dancers,
the wild enthusiasm of the spectators…
The exciting festival all of the Philippines has begun!

Celebrating the miracle statue, the Santo Niño, through the whole country

The season for the Sinulog festival is coming. The Sinulog festival is the biggest festival in the Philippines about the Santo Niño and it lasts for about a month. Not just the nation of the Philippines, but also a total of 2 million people from overseas gathered at this festival too.
The Spanish colonized the Philippines and spread Christianity. Then, the Santo Niño was introduced and worshipped by people as the statue of miracles. The Santo Niño is taken very good care of by the people in the Philippines and is displayed carefully around in restaurants, homes, or many other places. On the celebration day, people bring their own Santo Niño doll and perform the Sinulog dance. This holiday used to be strictly a religious festival, however in the 1980’s it grew into a familiar festival supported by enterprises and Cebu City.

The grand parade on Sunday, January 20th, 2019

Among the events, the most exciting is the “Santo Niño Statue March” and the “Grand Parade” . The Grand Parade for 2019 will be held on Sunday, January 20th at Abellana National High School. During the Grand Parade, dancers from districts or schools throughout the Philippines participate in the event and celebrate. Spectators are set up in various places and there is strict judgement on creativity, accuracy, visual appeal, and audience impact. It is a proud honor for whoever wins, so every team requires a high degree of performance perfection. The level of the floats and costumes gets higher year by year, which is superb to see. As it gets closer to the Grand Parade, the whole town is decorated for Sinulog. Advertisements of Sinulog are posted everywhere and booths dedicated for the event appear in shopping centers selling T-shirts and hair ornaments. BGM is Sinulog music with catchy rhythms and lyrics.

How to enjoy the Sinulog Festival

There are things to keep in mind to enjoy the Sinulog Festival. Due to the large numbers of people, theft and other troubles happened frequently. We recommend not bringing any expensive jewelry, bags, large wallets, or smartphones to the festival. Tourists especially are an easy target since it’s expected they carry large amounts of money with them. It’s better to bring some money split into coins and carried in separate bags.
Also, many people paint their faces and clothing as in tradition, so your clothes may get stained by passersby. It’s better to wear clothes that can get a little dirty and have a spare T-shirt. In addition, please remember to protect your skin from UV rays and hydrate well.
Let’s all enjoy celebrating together, dancing to the music in colorful, Sinulog clothes.

写真提供：シヌログ実行委員会　Photos：Sinulog Foundation,Inc.

Tentative route for the Sinulog Parade

EVENT INFO：
Sinulog Festival
Jan. 6th, to Feb. 2nd, 2019
Grand Parade
Jan. 20, 2019 [Sun]

Admission : Free（入場料・参加費不要）
Phone : 032-253-3700
Email : khelpepito@gmail.com

Extending back to about 500 years ago - The Origin of Sinulog

Sinulog began in the early 16th century when Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, was attempting to sail around the world and reached the Philippines where he wanted to convert the King and Queen of Cebu to Christianity. In 1521, when the Queen of Cebu converted to Christianity, Magellan gave her a statue of the Santo Niño, Christ as a child, as a baptismal gift. Upon receiving the statue, Queen Juana danced with joy. The other natives followed her example, all dancing in the same way. They say this dancing is the origin of the unique Sinulog steps. And when the dancers begin the steps all at the same time in the grand parade, it creates a splendid scene like a river flowing.

The statue of Lapu-Lapu, who is revered as the first Filipino hero. Lapu-Lapu City is named after him, as well as the lapu-lapu fish, the white meat of which is prized as sashimi.

A great achievement of the Filipino hero, Lapu-Lapu

Even though the King and Queen accepted the conversion to Christianity, Lapu-Lapu, who was the chieftain of mactan Island, refused to accept the order from Ferdinand Magellan. He tried to invade Mactan Island with his troops against Lapu-Lapu, but Lapu-Lapu set up a trap. He told Magellan he was eager to fight but, asked him to wait until they had prepared for battle. Magellan marched in with his troops for a direct attack. But, Lapu-Lapu wait waiting with 1,500 warrior and engaged in a fierce battle with Magellan, who had only dozens of armed men. Thanks to his smart strategy, Lapu-Lapu and his men defeated Magellan’s troops despite their armor and cannons (April 27th, 1521).
Only a few of Magellan’s fleet left cebu to return to Spain. Magellan was killed but, his fleet would still be the first to sail around the world. Lapu-Lapu became a Filipino hero who defeated a powerful invader with his great bravery and wisdom.

In 1565, Legazpi, who was the first Viceroy in the Philippines, visited Cebu from Mexico and ordered conversion. Unlike when Magellan came, the people disobeyed Legazpi’s orders to change their religion, so Legazpi and his men destroyed a number of villages. Afterwards, Legazpi discovered the Santo Niño statue among the ruins of the burned houses. Having been passed down for 40 years since Magellan had presented it and moreover, discovered unscathed from a burned house, the Santo Niño has been called the statue of miracles. The church has burned down many since then, but the statue is always recovered unharmed. Truly a miracle.
We can still see the Santo Niñ-o statue in the church now. The statue of miracles has still been preserved despite the Spanish, American, and Japanese invasions and World World II. This church and the surrounding holds deep meaning as a place for Christianity.

Magellan's Cross was erected in 1521. The site is also well-known as the place where the King of Cebu, his wife, and hundreds of his followers were baptized. The surrounding structure protects the cross from people trying to chip away parts of the cross believing it possesses miraculous powers.

Even now, you can view the Santo Niño doll at the Santo Niño church. Countless believers from across the nation visit constantly to catch a glimpse of the statue of miracles.

The statue of the Santo Niño was brought to the island by Magellan in 1521 and recovered by Legazpi in 1565. Even now, 500 years later, devotees stand in line to pray at the statue. It is a precious place where one can sense the long history of the island.

The location at the Santo Niño Basilica where Mass is held. A large space is provided to accommodate a great number of believers. Mass is held here not only during the Sinulog season, but throughout the year.

Multiculturalism based on European, American, Chinese, and Southeast Asian culture

The beat and style of the Sinulog have a history of about 500 years. The face paint and masks may be proof that the Sinulog has been influenced by the culture that existed before Magellan came. Cebu was a major trading center visited by many people. Chinese and Malaysians created settlements on the island. You can still see many Chinese buildings around the province. After the Spanish colonial period, Cebu was placed under the control of American forces. The Sinulog can be said to reflect this multicultural history. Today, the Sinulog is regarded as one of the grandest and most colorful festivals in Asia, and it will definitely be preserved for future generations.

※There are cases in which the schedule and route may change without prior notice.

Photos: Sinulog Foundation, Inc.