Go Philippines: The Famous Sinulog Festival in Cebu City

The Sinulog Festival is one of the most popular, the grandest and colorful festival in the Philippines. It is celebrated every third Sunday of January in honor of Santo Nino who is the patron Saint of Cebu City. Sinulog means a ritual dance that commemorates the Cebuano people's pagan origin, and their acceptance to Roman Catholicism.

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Before the Spaniards conquered Cebu, the natives are already practicing Sinulog for their wooden idols and anitos. In 1521, Magellan came to Cebu and introduced Christianity in the island. He gave the Sto. Nino as baptismal gift to Rahah Humabon's wife. Through the years since Magellan conquered Cebu Island, the Sinulog dance were practice by candle vendors in Sto Nino Church and during Fiesta in the third day of January, only children dress moro-moro were dancing the Sinulog. The Sinulog is not a big event until 1980.

In 1980, Ministry of Sports and Youth Development (MYSD) director David Odilao organized the first ever Sinulog Parade. First, it was participated by schools only by a dance parade representing history of Cebu from primitive times to present. In 1981, all sectors were involved in Sinulog Parade, focusing not only to ritual dance but also to historical aspects of the dance that makes Sinulog different from Ati-atihan festival of Aklan. The Cebu City Historical Committee introduced the Sinulog coat of arms of Sto Nino, it was conceptualized to make Sinulog Festival institutionalized. It bears a two-headed hawk as a mark of the ruling House of Hapsburg in Europe representing the twin purpose of Hapsburg dynasty, as "Champion of Catholicism and Defender of the Faith". They incorporated the two-headed hawks to a native warriors shield, the shield symbolized the Philippines resistance against colonization while the Sto. Nino coat of arms represented the country's acceptance to Roman Catholicism.

Today Sinulog Festival is celebrated not only by a street dance but evolves more into cultural celebration, and commercialized as tourist attraction in Cebu City. Present celebration inlcudes, Sinulog-Based Category, Sinulog sa Kabataan, Free Interpretation Category, Arch Decor Category, Float Category, Higante Category, Puppeteers Category, Photo Contest Category, Visual Merchandising, Festival Queen, Street Dancing, Best Musicality and Short Film Festival.