Rough Groove

Sinulog 06: Outside the Basilica

Outside the gates of the Basilica, vendors are swarming, asking passersby and devotees to buy from them their candles and prayers and images. Some are dancing the sinulog, footwork, waving of the candles, lips mumbling with prayers and then gives the candles to the one paying. Devotees lighting candles on improvised catch basins and recycled oil cans to collect the melted wax to be made into candles again.

At the back of the Basilica, Sto. Nino image vendors congregate selling various sizes of the famed image as well as repairing old and worn statuettes, replacing faded capes and repainting. A few years ago, these vendors were at the sides of the church but the mayor, Tomas Osmena dismanted their stalls and assigned them at the back since they were stalling traffic.

A candle vendor doing the prayer dance sinulog (left) while these vendors (right) were in the shade waiting for devotees.

An imahen vendor dressing up a statue (left) while (right) tools of the trade in dressing up the image.

Newly painted images (left) being dried in the sun while (right) done images ready to be sold.

Related posts:
Sinulog 06: Sto. Nino
Home!
Sinulog effect: Paltos!
Sinulog 06: The Processions
Drowsy Monday
In Cebu for the Sinulog
Sto. Nino - The procession
Sto. Nino, 2 - Women devotees

Sinulog 06: The Processions

Saturday, bisperas (eve) of the feast of the Sto. Nino and two major procession are done:

the morning fluvial procession where the image of the Holy Child is transported to Mandaue City the day before to spend a night there and early morning, it is then trasported to a waiting barge at the private Ouano wharf which sails around the cities of Lapulapu and Mandaue City before it docks at Pier 1 near Aduana. Devotees flock during this event, from the time it is carried to the wharf in Mandaue to just before it docks at its destination where it is awaited with dances, shouts of homage and then the procession to the old Basilica del Sto. Nino starts. After it reaches the church, a reenactment of the first mass that was held more than 400 years ago is said.

A waiting crowd gathers early morning at Pier 1 in Cebu City (left) while the image of the Virgin (right) that accompanies the Sto. Nino is carried on the shoulders of costumed men representing the Spanish soldiers who arrived on the shores of Cebu more than 400 years ago to start their colonization in the name of God and King.

When I was an elementary student at the Colegio del Sto. Nino, which is run by the Augustinian Friars and is just adjacent to the basilica, I was part of the dance troupe that performed at the pier to welcome the image. and later on after the mass, we performed again, this time infront of judges. I have scant recollection of that day but what I do remember was the hot and tiring performance coupled with nervousness.

the afternoon procession the most awaited religious event prior to the feast wherein the image of the Sto. Nino is placed on a carroza and winds its way along the streets of Cebu City. Before, it was only limited to downtown Cebu City but in later years, the route was expanded and it took longer but the devotees doesn’t mind. Of the three carroza’s that participate in the procession, that of the Sto. Nino is the most awaited. Again, as a member of the Knights of the Altar way back in elementary school, I remember that even though the start of the procession is more than halfway in the route but that of the last image is still at the church, unable to move because of the dizzying throng of people joining.

But when the carroza bearing the image of the Holy Child passes, one can just marvel at the pomp and lavishness as well as the devoutness of the devotees heap: fireworks and firecrackers are lit, balloons tied with pieces of paper written with prayers are set free, people jumping, shouting Viva Sr. Sto. Nino and waving their Sto. Nino statuettes and arms, vehicles blowing their horns and in some portions of the streets, effigies of doves or a globe strung high from the street opens and a shower of confetti, coins and candies rain down on the people!

Compared with the risky and seeming scuffle as male devotees jostle, push and pull to touch the image of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila that most often times result in injuries and sometimes death, the Sto. Nino procession on the other hand is tamer, subdued and just a happy procession!

Crowd control usually manned by college students ring the carroza of the Sto. Nino (left) while ardent devotees carry an image on their shoulders (right).

Just as the main carroza is on seeing distance, people are in a festive mood: balloons bearing prayers are set free, statuettes are swayed in the air, shouts of Viva! Sr. Sto. Nino! are heard, fireworks are lit and the whole crowd just comes out alive and electrified (left). As it passes, people lift their arms and wave (right).

Related posts:
Sinulog 06: Sto. Nino
Home!
Sinulog effect: Paltos!
Drowsy Monday
In Cebu for the Sinulog
Sto. Nino - The procession
Sto. Nino, 2 - Women devotees

Sinulog 06: Sto. Nino

Less than a week of covering the Black Nazarene festivities in Quiapo and I was back again in Cebu for the Sinulog, the Cebuano’s grand mardi gras in honor of the child king, the Sto. Nino (Holy Child). My plans before was to join the Ati-atihan in Kalibo and when that fizzled out prematurely, I consoled myself to just experience the Caracol of Makati or the Sto. Nino feast in Tondo. Fortunately, my boss had other plans and I was in Cebu.

Every third Sunday of January, Cebu is in a party mood. Locals and tourists from all over the country and the world including the balikbayans (there were two direct flights from Hawaii and LA to plane in visitors), devotees from all walks of life and from different strata of society converge in the Queen City of the South to give thanks, honor, pray to the Holy Child, as well as just enjoy the festivities that is uniquely Cebuano.

It should also be noted that in other parts of the country, there are parallel but simpler celebrations within the month of January (the Tondo feast mentioned earlier is also of note) but the Cebu event just dwarfs the rest in scale, pomp and pageantry. This is testament to the millions of devotees to this very popular religious icon.

Central to the celebrations is the centuries old Convent and Basilica of Sto. Nino of the Augustinians along Magallanes street where the Holy Image is kept. I have often been to this church as I had my elementary education adjacent to the basilica and during Fridays, which is the day of devotion, people flock to this church to pray, have the novenas as well as pay homage. A female devotee (left) carrying an image during the procession. Just like in the Quiapo festivities wherein you can see devotees carrying statuettes and icons of the Black Nazarene, its also the same here in Cebu wherein people are also carrying different sizes of the Sto. Nino.

Inside the Basilica, people can light candles to offer their their supplications and during this time of the year, it can really get crowded. As for this old woman (left), after lighting a couple of candles and offering prayers, she then extended her hand over, just enough to get the heat of the fire and then touched her nape and her chest. One can see these being performed by other people on different parts of their body as a sort of act to heal pain and suffering.

Outside the basilica’s gates (right), these devotees are also lighting candles bought at P1 (1/50 of dollar) from vendors. What differs from those inside the basilica is that before these candles are given, the vendors make a prayer dance, afterwhich the devotee then lights these ontop of the cans. By the way, the cans is also a receptacle for the candles whose wax are then melted and recycled. Sometimes, people will rely on others to pray for them thinking that prayers said by these vendors, usually old women, are more effective.

One of the popular prayer activities by devotees is coming up to an image (left) in one part of the church to touch, say prayers, bows one’s head, daub a kerchief or kiss the glass enclosing the image. With the advent of camera phones and digital cameras, it is now common to see devotees taking a photo. Especially during this time, the line can stretch out so long that last Saturday (right), it spilled outside the church and snaked along the backstreet.

Related posts:
Home!
Sinulog effect: Paltos!
Drowsy Monday
In Cebu for the Sinulog

Sinulog effect: Paltos!

My feet was sore from walking 6 kilometers during the Sinulog mardi gras which was on a hard cement road with most of the time sunny alternating with light showers that I developed a paltos! Not really sure what the english term is but its a condition when a part of the skin of the feet is in constant friction with a surface that the affected area becomes sort of watery. When it bursts and the raw skin is exposed, its really painful. Other than that, I was sunburnt and just dead tired that I went home at around 1700H without waiting for the fireworks display.

I’ll blog about the Sinulog events this Tuesday Wednesday as I need to rest early since other than the tiredness, my flight back to Makati is 0500H.

Lefthand is right: paltos is blister! Thanx

Sto. Nino, 5 - Supplication to heaven

Whenever the carrozza of the Sto. Nino passed by, balloons were released, as just like this photo. Devotees tie their prayers and suplications to these balloons hoping that these reach the heavens faster.