Sinulog is the largest and most important festival in Cebu City and one of the largest festivals in the Philippines. Sinulog Festival goes on for several weeks, culminating on the third Sunday in January with a spectacular street carneval.
Sinulog Festival celebrates Santo Niño, the holy child, which is one of the most important religious symbols in the Philippines. The statue of Santo Niño is kept in Basicila Minor del Santo Niño. At dawn on a Saturday, a day before the Sunday's street parade, the statue is carried from Mandaue City to Cebu City on a boat richly decorated with flowers. The procession, which draws enormous crowds of locals, ends in front of the basilica, where a ceremony of conversion to Christianity is performed. On the same Saturday afternoon another religious procession takes place. But Sinulog is by no means just a religious festival. Christian iconography of Sinulog Festival is closely intertwined with pagan costumes, tribes' beats and a typical dance characterised by two steps forward and one step back. The name of the festival, Sinulog, derives from the word 'Sulog', which means 'to move like water current' in Cebuano. This is how the movement of Sinulog Festival dancers is described.
Grand parade of Sinulog Festival, also called fiesta or mardi gras, lasts from 9am till evening. It is interrupted for a short time only during lunch break. Central Cebu City gets very crowded on the day of the parade. Cebu City hotels are fully booked at that time, so it is essential to book early. The same applies for transport to Cebu City. On the days leading to the festival, air tickets and boat tickets to Cebu are either sold-out or notoriously expensive.
Sinulog Festival Grand Parade on the third Sunday in January is the peak of Sinulog Festival. Many smaller events take place earlier, especially during the week leading to the grand parade. If you get to Cebu a few days earlier, check listings of events in local newspapers.
If you are into photography, you can buy a Sinulog photography pass from the organizers of the festival. Their office is at Cebu City Sports Centre. The photography pass gives you access to areas restricted to public. That means that you can literally mingle with the dancers during the parade. You can also enter best Sinulog photo competition. In 2010, the price of the photography pass was 500 pesos (less than 10 €).
Central Cebu City is closed to traffic on the day of the parade. You will need to cover some distance on foot, thus wear comfortable footwear and don't forget a hat, sunglasses and generous amounts of sunblock. Wear thin, light, cotton clothes. Do not wear expensive jewellery and watches and do not carry significant amounts of money with you. Pack all your valuables into a moneybelt.
Numerous stalls spring up on the streets of Cebu on the day of the parade, selling food, drinks and various fashion accessories (such as hats, whistles and temporary tattos). Street parties continue after the sunset. Some of the parties, fuelled with large quantities of alcohol, can get rowdy. Take care of your safety and personal belongings, stay clear of poorly-lit side streets and avoid conflicts with drunken locals. With a little bit of caution and good judgement you can have great fun until wee hours of the morning.