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10 Essential Tips for You to Have an Enjoyable Time During Sinulog
Here are some Sinulog tips to consider before you head out for the parade.
By: Peter Parcon | January 01, 2021
Due to the pandemic, events for the Sinulog 2021 have been cancelled. Please follow the social media page of the local government of Cebu City for more updates.
Every January, Cebuanos celebrate the grandest of all festivals in the archipelago. Thousands of local and international tourists flock to Cebu to witness the week-long Sinulog Festival. The festivities kick off with the Walk with Jesus procession and culminate in the Sinulog grand parade on the third Sunday of January. Want to join the street festivities? Read on for tips on how to survive Sinulog.
1. Plan ahead.
Expect to do a lot of walking at the Sinulog grand parade.
I normally plan my route prior to the grand parade since most roads in the city will be closed to traffic as early as Saturday evening. Expect to walk a kilometer or two to reach the parade route. You should also look for places where you can eat lunch. Most restaurants close to the parade route will be crowded. However, some enterprising Cebuanos would open stalls where you can feast on budget-friendly eats like barbecue and puso (hanging rice).
2. Wear comfortable clothes.
A good pair of shoes is essential for walking during Sinulog.
The Sinulog crowd gets bigger each year. It has reached a point where it may not be easy to find a good place to watch the parade. Due to this, it’s important to wear a light-colored shirt and a good pair of jeans. Since you’ll be walking most of the time, you should also wear a comfortable pair of shoes.
3. Leave your valuables at home.
It’s safer to leave jewelry at home than to bring it during Sinulog.
Sinulog is not a party where you try to make a good first impression. It is the answer of Cebu to the Mardi Gras in Brazil, albeit a tamer version of the foreign festival. Thus, it is advisable to leave your jewelry and other valuables at home. If you want to bring your phone, keep it in the front pocket of your jeans.
4. Eat up before the parade.
The Sinulog Grand Parade can be a good excuse to have Cebu lechon for breakfast.
All that walking to reach the parade route requires a lot of energy. Before leaving home, eat a hearty breakfast like Cebu lechon (roast suckling pig) so you won’t have any dizzy spells. The meal should be enough to tide you over until noon. You’ll have a chance to recover your energy levels at this time since the contingents will also take their lunch break.
5. Keep yourself hydrated.
Bring a water bottle to avoid buying overpriced water.
It may become quite hot and humid when you are in the middle of the crowd. This can lead to a heatstroke, especially when the sun is shining so brightly. That’s why it’s important to keep yourself hydrated. Always bring a bottle or two of water. Bring one from home since prices of bottled water are expected to skyrocket during the Sinulog Grand Parade.
6. Prepare for rain.
An umbrella is your best defense in case it rains.
Even as you prepare for the heat during Sinulog, you should also brace for rain. There were instances in the past when a heavy downpour occurred in the middle of the celebration. Some people don’t mind getting drenched and consider it a part of their Sinulog experience. But if you don’t like getting wet, bring a foldable umbrella.
7. Stay with your friends.
Some people dress up for Sinulog.
I go by my lonesome when I roam the streets during the Sinulog grand parade. But at the end of the day, I normally meet up with my friends. If you’re just there to watch the performances, you’ll have more fun if you watch it with friends. As they say, the more the merrier. You can also feel safer when you watch the parade as a group. Some groups even go around the city wearing costumes.
8. Take a break.
You can take your lunch at Pungko-Pungko sa Fuente during Sinulog.
Watching the Sinulog is an enjoyable experience, but standing the whole day can be quite tiring. While there are some bleachers on the sidewalk areas of the parade route, many of them are reserved for customers of establishments located along the route. Thus, it’s important to take advantage of the hour-long lunch break to look for a good place to rest. You may even want to visit Pungko-Pungko sa Fuente, which is close to the parade route.
9. Snap lots of pictures.
A festival participant dances with the image of the Holy Child.
Talking about your Sinulog experience may give your friends an idea about the fun you had in Cebu. But a picture speaks a thousand words. Bring a camera and take lots of pictures. You can also join the photo contest if you have a good eye for photos. Who knows, you may even win a prize or two.
10. Have fun.
A festival participant is all smiles at the Sinulog grand parade
The Sinulog festival is the biggest festival in the country. It is a day when locals and visitors let their hair down and simply have fun. You should also follow their lead and make the visit as enjoyable as you can.
Visit Yoorekka for more travel tips for your domestic trips!
Do you have other Sinulog survival tips you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments section below!
Stay safe as you travel! Make sure to follow social distancing protocols and observe health precautions wherever you go. Have a great trip!
This article was originally published in Yoorekka on January 05, 2018.
About Peter Parcon
After leaving spending 16 years of his professional life in the academe, Peter decided to try his luck in the world of online freelancing. For the past eight years, he has been creating content for clients all around the world. He can work on just about any topic - from tattoos to technology and food to finance. He dreams of visiting every island in the archipelago some day.
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