Ched Rick Gatchalian

Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia and his wife Kate Garcia attending a mass at the Basilica del Sto. Niño for the 45th Sinulog Festival on January 10, 2025. Facebook/Cebu City Public Information Office

Article (news)

Sinulog 2025 festivities formally kick off

Annie Perez

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1736569309870472804641_633113609277473_7330901711006160985_n.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia and his wife Kate Garcia attending a mass at the Basilica del Sto. Niño for the 45th Sinulog Festival on January 10, 2025. Facebook/Cebu City Public Information Office</div>CEBU CITY — The festivities for the Sinulog Festival 2025 has official kicked off with an opening salvo.It started with a mass at the Basilica Minore Del Santo Niño followed by a street parade by universities and colleges in Cebu City.They danced to the traditional Sinulog while treading the Osmeña Boulevard.Cebu City Mayor Raymond Garcia said this year is different because they returned the venue of the festival to the Cebu City Sports Center instead of the South Road Properties.“It is back to where it belong… we are doing all this as an offering to pay tribute to the Señor Santo Niño,” said Garcia.Daily activities for Sinulog 2025 include the brass band competition on Saturday and the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Dakbayan on Sunday.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/events/2025/1/10/franco-reyes-gets-into-accident-band-unable-to-perform-in-cebu-s-sinulog-2025-1323">Franco Reyes gets into accident, band unable to perform in Cebu&#x27;s Sinulog 2025</a></div>The local government unit of Cebu City, which is leading the organization of the Sinulog Festival, is anticipating over 3 million spectators this year.Mayor Garcia said they are expecting more people who will be coming over to witness the grand parade that will feature over 42 dancing contingents along with other related activities.The Sinulog Festival is held every third week of January, in concurrence of the feast of the Santo Niño de Cebu.To ensure the guests’ security, the Philippine National Police are deploying over 3,000 policemen plus over 3,000 force multipliers from the Barangays, universities and other civic organizations. “We want to make sure it will be safe and orderly not much untoward incidents, mga minor lang. Crowd control very big issue for us,” added Garcia.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2024/12/9/preparations-for-feast-of-santo-ni-o-de-cebu-in-full-swing-1918">Preparations for feast of Santo Niño de Cebu in full swing</a></div><div>INVITED GUESTS</div>Garcia said that his office has extended invitations to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Vice President Sara Duterte, Senate President Chiz Escudero and House Speaker Representative Martin Romualdez.“No confirmations, usually because of security reasons they will confirm at the last minute,” said Garcia.Despite this, they have already prepared for their arrival should they decide to grace the Sinulog Festival.The Presidential Assistant for the Visayas also communicated with his office on the details of the event, saying President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is &quot;interested.&quot;“The President has never come as President to the Sinulog,” Garcia remarked.Cabinet secretaries such as Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla and Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco have also been sent invitations.<div>STREET PARTIES, GLASS BOTTLES PROHIBITED</div>In a newly-signed executive order, Mayor Garcia also announced new prohibitions for the Sinulog Weekend.In his order, concerts, shows, performances, gigs and events are not allowed along the Solemn Procession Route and Sinulog Parade Route between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. of January 18, Saturday and between 12:01 a.m. and 10 p.m. of January 19, Sunday, respectively.A liquor ban is set on the same period covering a 300-meter radius of the Sinulog Parade Route.Selling is also prohibited.Street parties are also not allowed in any area within Cebu City from January 18 to January 19, 2025.“The roads must be free from any obstruction that is why I am banning street parties,” explained the mayor.Parties are only allowed within the private properties provided they fellow the time of the entertainment ban and the liquor ban.Individuals who will attempt to party in the streets as a form of “spill over” will be dealt with accordingly by the authorities.The use of glass bottles for any form of beverage is also not allowed.“Just in case the crowd gets rowdy. Let’s use alternatives instead” added Garcia.<div>NO SIGNAL JAM AND INCREASED HOTEL PRICES</div>The mayor also made clear that unlike pre-pandemic Sinulog Festivals, there will be no requests of a signal jam this year to the National Telecommunications Commission.“It is important and imperative that there is signal because of emergency purposes, we need communication,” said the mayor.Councilor Joel Garganera, chair of the security committee, said that a signal jam would only “bring more harm than good”.The local government unit’s business processing and licensing office will also strictly monitor prices of hotels and other basic goods that they will not take advantage of the season.A strict warning was already sent out to concerned business establishments.Cebu’s association for Hotel, Restaurants and Resorts already earlier reported a 70-percent occupancy rate for the Sinulog season and is expecting full occupancy as the date nears.“This is really a celebration of a fiesta for our Señor Santo Niño. People should not only enjoy the fiesta but also pay homage to Señor Santo Niño,” Garcia added.

The festivities for the Sinulog Festival 2025 has official kicked off in an opening salvo, startingwith a mass at the Basilica Minore Del Santo Niño followed by a street parade by universities and colleges in Cebu City.

The festivities for the Sinulog Festival 2025 has official kicked off in an opening salvo, startingwith a mass at the Basilica Minore Del Santo Niño followed by a street parade by universities and colleges in Cebu City.