SINULOG: Through Tourists’ Eyes

The month-long Sinulog Festival has already kicked off in Cebu this January, and tourists are stuffing social media sites with colorful photos from the event.

The Sinulog is a dance ritual, wherein dancers are dressed in bright and colorful costumes, moving to the beat of the drums while chanting Viva Pit Senor!, honoring the image of the Santo Niño. This year’s Sinulog theme is “Sinulog Goes Global.” National costumes of various countries, including the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Hawaii, USA, Mexico, Spain, France, Brazil, Venezuela and Egypt will fill the streets of Cebu during the grand parade.

Sinulog is derived from the Cebuano word sulog that means “water current movement.” It basically defines the forward-backward step of the Sinulog dance. It gained popularity among the tourists, both local and foreign. In January last year, foreign arrivals in Cebu reached 155,567.

The Tourism Department of Cebu expects a significant rise in foreign tourisst because of two major events: the Sinulog Festival and the 51st International Eucharistic Congress 2016 with 12,000 delegates representing 72 countries.

Let’s take a look at some of the highlights in Sinulog festival.