Sinulog 2012 Opening and Launching Parade

Okay folksie folks, in ‘compliance’ with coercively dictatorial texts, calls and emails from those of you who live far and can’t come, and those of you who are coming still on the 14th or 15th, here is a snippet of how that opening parade went. Surprisingly dry day. Yeah, not even a drizzle!

I don’t have ‘a lot’ of things to say… just ‘many’ hehe:

The parade theme was “Cebu: ASEAN City of Culture”. Reason why you would see the performing groups from various universities representing our neighboring countries. But they were dancing to one tune ("Welcome to Cebu?").

Mike Rama, as usual still walked the entire parade. I think he is still chairman of this Sinulog thing. Maybe nobody wants to assume that headache of being chairman even if he is already mayor hehehe. But it seems he is still gladly active wielding the wand that does this wonderful yearly magic called Sinulog! Notably though, there were too few people around or behind him (just about 10, than last year where there were something like 20+ of them). Well in 2010, it looked like there were just about 5 of them when I took a pic as they entered the sports center. Maybe these guys with him do tire out early. Whatever hehe!

The Sinulog website says this parade was to start at 3PM (as usual). The police patrol bikes that always front this parade arrived in front of the Cebu Normal University at exactly 4:14PM. Hmm this probably takes an hour or so from the Basilica. In 2011, they were at the same place at 4:22PM and in 2010 it was 4:26PM. Sign of “improvement”? Probably!

The beauteous Miss Cebu 2012 candidates paraded in equally beautiful toys from the Sportscar Club of Cebu, Inc. – driven by no less than the ‘poor boys’ who own them toys hehe! Miss Cebu 2011 came late wherever that car (or she) came from, and they disturbed the dancing a bit since the ‘toy car’ had to wade through the groups. Baka nasiraan yung kotse hahaha!

I will dare say, dancing on the streets was better in the last two years. Take note, these are generally the same dance troupes from colleges and universities that perform for the opening parade. Today though, the Carcar dancers who were ‘aptly’ at the end of everything saved the day. Same thing on the stage by the way!

Of course you probably have seen this video:


In all, a very festive day. If we take this opening parade as indicator, the Sinulog 2012 must be going to be OMG fantastic – again, as usual, rain or shine!

Hah, whatta sizzling first-friday of the year! Woh!