The faith of Cebuanos is unwavering, and they show it through thought and actions. Sinulog is a testament of faith and tradition that’s been going on for many years, and one of the most much-awaited parts of Fiesta Señor 2024 is the Penitential Walk of Jesus.
Photo from Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu Official Facebook Page
This year’s Sinulog celebration kicked off on January 11 with the Penitential Walk Jesus and opening Mass.
Photo from Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu Official Facebook PagePhoto from Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu Official Facebook Page
Reports show that the Penitential Walk of Jesus attendees reached over 200,000. And what’s even more impressive is that there were no complications during the event. Police Col. Ireneo Dalogdog confirmed that everything went smoothly and that there were no significant incidents. However, some attendees experience dizziness and a spike in their blood pressure.
Photo from Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu Official Facebook PagePhoto from Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu Official Facebook Page
The Penitential Walk of Jesus started from Fuente Osmeña Circle and ended at the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño.
Aside from the Penitential walk, there are other activities lined up. You can check the schedule here.
The Cebu City Transportation Office announced that road closures will be implemented during the Sinulog and Fiesta Señor festivities.
The red marks with arrows that indicate the direction show the route of the grand parade. Light yellow shaded portions are allocated for parking, limited mostly for operational vehicles | Photo from SRP Management Office via Cebu City News and Information website.
Many parts of the city will be closed to cater to the different activities on January 13 and 14, such as the Kabataan sa Dakbayan and Kabataan sa Lalawigan, respectively. On January 14, parts of Escario St., specifically near the Cebu provincial Capitol, will be closed by 1 PM.
Photo from Sugbo News
Moreover, there will also be road closures on January 20 (Sto. Niño Procession) and January 21 (Sinulog Grand Parade).
The CCTO also encouraged people not to bring vehicles if they plan to attend the fiesta activities on January 1. There will be available transportation going to SRP, where Sinulog will be head. However, there are only limited cars provided.
For those who want to attend the festivities at SRP, there will be buses stationed at the northern and southern parts of Cebu. There will also be shuttle buses from Starmall to SRP, and SM Cebu and GMall in Cebu City.
Art is timeless and formless in a way that neither of those would determine the value of a certain piece. The medium lies in the artist; I believe that artists don’t really choose the art they’re going to practice; it just finds them. With that being said, this is all very evident in the works of Dario Frias Jr., who used to run a motorcycle repair shop and is now making art pieces using discarded motorcycle parts.
Photo from Junior Frias on Facebook
The artist, residing in Sagada in the Cordillera Mountains, has always been a bike enthusiast. His involvement in the sport is what ultimately pushed him to pursue the art form, especially during the pandemic when everyone needed release from the conditions we had to live within such a hard time. To help the Mountain Province Trail Riders Group in a way he knows, he volunteered to make trophies using his pieces. Some of the other sculptures he has made are those of Apo Whang-od, Bob Marley, and an Igorot warrior. Both Dario’s subjects and his art form are truly tailor-fit to the personalities he has.
Photo from Junior Frias on Facebook
He mentioned how his fellow artists in the area were very much impressed by his works, considering how these artists specialize in painting and woodcarving. His unique art form truly makes him stand out, eventually making him part of the artists’ circle they have formed together, now called Damayan Tribal Arts.
Photo from Junior Frias on Facebook
The name of their group is derived from the wild mushrooms that only grow after heavy rains in their mountains called Damayan. Dario said that this is very symbolic of their entire group, which only started during the pandemic.
Photo from Junior Frias on Facebook
Luckily for Dario, he is very widely recognized for his artistry, selling out all of his pieces instantly. He currently works on commission while looking out for his metal fabrication business. He dreams of opening an art gallery one day to display all of his pieces, waving the flag of Sagada to anyone who wishes to see his otherworldly creations.
T-Bird at Ako might have shaken the Philippine film industry as it tackles same-sex relationships during a time when the idea of “two women or men in a relationship” is frowned upon.
Photo from IMDb
The film revolves around a female lawyer who struggles to avoid the advances and affection of a female dancer accused of homicide.
Photo from Philippine Star
One of the lead cast of the film is Vilma Santos. She played the local bar dancer in the movie. Moreover, in a recent interview with MJ Felipe, she was asked who she wants to star in the “T-Bird at Ako remake.”
The Star for All Seasons then chimed Kathryn Bernardo’s name. When she was informed that fans wanted to see Bernardo with Nadine Lustre, she said, “Oh, heaven yan! Heaven ang team na yan, parehong magaling! That’s a good pair.
Photo from Philstar.com
Will Nadine and Kathryn make a good pair? And is a remake of “T-Bird at Ako” necessary, or the original is enough? Let us know in the comments.
It’s PRITITIT Season again, and we are all hyped up for all the activities lined up!
Photo from Sinulog Foundation Inc. on Facebook
Speaking of activities, here is the official schedule of activities for the 2024 Sinulog Festival! From fireworks displays to singing competitions, there are tons of exciting events prepared just for you.
January 11
Walk with Jesus
Opening Salvo Mass
Sinulog Dance Crew Competition Finals
January 12
Sinulog Grand Launching Parade at Fuente Osmeña
January 13
1:00 PM Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan at CCSC
8:00 PM Sinulog Iodl at Fuente Osmeña
January 14
1:00 PM Parade of Participants from Plaza Sugbu to Jakosalem, Juan Luna
2:00 PM Sinulog sa Barangay at SRP
8:00 PM Sinulog Idol at Fuente Osmeña & Plaza Independecia
Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Dakbayan
January 15
7:00 PM Sinulog Festival Queen Runway Competition
8:00 PM Sinulog Idol at Fuente Osmeña
January 16
8:00 PM Sinulog idol at Fuente Osmeña
January 17
MISS CEBU 2024
8:00 PM Sinulog Idol at Fuente Osmeña
January 18
8:00 PM Sinulog Idol Grand Finals at Fuente Osmeña
January 19
Walk with Mary Procession
Festival Queen Coronation Night
January 20
6:00 AM Fluvial Procession of Miraculous Image of Sr. Sto. Niño at CCLEX 3rd Bridge
9:00 AM Reenactment of Historical events at Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño
1:00 PM Solemn Foot Procession of the Venerable Image of Sr. Sto. Niño
7:00 PM Sinulog Fireworks Display & Competition
January 21
4:00 AM Mañanita Mass at Basilica Minore Del Sto. Niño
6:00 AM Misa Pontifica De La “Fiesta Señor” by His Excellency Archbishop Jose S. Palma, D.D. at the Basilica Minore Del Sto. Niño
Sinulog Fiesta Day – Holy Masss Celebration
9:00 AM Sinulog Grand Parade – Carousel Formal Opening at SRP
January 22
Awarding Ceremonies, Basilica, Thanksgiving Day (Trophies), and CCSC (Awarding)
January 23
“HUBO” at Basilica Minore Del. Sto. Niño.
Sinulog Festival has been part of our lives as Sugboanons ever since we can remember. It is a week of faith and celebration to look forward to. Let this Sinulog be bigger and better than the last as we pay homage to Sr. Sto. Niño.
Photo from Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu Official Facebook PagePhoto from Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu Official Facebook Page
You can visit the Sinulog Foundation’s official Facebook page for more updates.
Heads up, Pinoys! Soon, a new set of Hot Wheels will be rolling into town.
Ford Philippines announced that they will officially launch the famous off-road SUV here. The first model is set to be ready in a year.
Photo from Le Guide de l’auto
But why is the Ford Bronco so special? The Ford Bronco became part of pop culture after former NFL star O.J. Simpson drove a white Ford Bronco during the first police chase televised in the US in 1994.
Photo from Andscape
Moreover, the Ford Bronco was launched in 1965 but discontinued in 1996. After 24 years, it was reintroduced in 2021 with the launch of the sixth-generation Bronco in America.
Photo from Ford LED Shop
Ford Philippines stated that they will soon be opening reservations for the Bronco, which can only be accessed through Ford’s online reservation portal. At the moment, the details for the off-road SUV have not been released yet.
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure that promises to be a wonder-filled experience for nature enthusiasts and adventure seekers. Trekking through Rwanda’s beautiful woods to see endangered mountain gorillas is an extraordinary experience. Over half of the world’s mountain gorillas live in the Virunga Mountains, which span 50 kilometres along Rwanda, Uganda, and the Congo. Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park is the greatest site to observe these uncommon species, and getting there is an experience. So pack your bags and complete your Kenya Airways Booking to enjoy this unforgettable experience.
Gorilla Trekking Best Time To Visit
Photo from Unsplash
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is greatest in the dry season, June–September and December–February. The paths are drier and gorillas are easier to see in lower altitudes during these months. Gorilla trekking is possible year-round, and the rainy season offers a unique experience.
Permit Needs
Rwanda Development Board permits are required for gorilla trekking. Foreign tourists need a $1500 permit and must be 15 years old. Rwanda limits visitors to 96 each day since there are only 10 gorilla families. Permits sell out rapidly, so book early.
Physical Fitness Factors
Rwanda gorilla hiking demands average fitness. Up to six hours and 10 kilometres of hiking through the deep forest are required. Steep hills, muddy pathways, and heavy foliage make the terrain difficult. Visitors should wear comfortable hiking shoes, long trousers, and long-sleeved shirts to avoid stinging nettles and other plants.
Planning Your Gorilla Trek
Choose a Tour Operator: Choose a reliable tour company for your Rwanda gorilla trek. Look for firms with competent gorillas and area guides. Check the company’s safety record and customer feedback. Volcanoes Safaris, African Wildlife Safaris, and Gorilla Trek Africa are famous Rwandan trip providers.
What to Bring?: Pack light for a gorilla trip, bringing just the basics. You need comfy hiking shoes, long trousers, and long-sleeved shirts. We suggest bringing a rain jacket, sunscreen, bug repellant, and a hat. Also needed: a backpack for water, food, and a camera. If you’re sick, postpone your walk since gorillas are sensitive to human ailments.
Health and Safety Tips: Gorilla hiking is strenuous, therefore be fit. Keep with the group and follow your guide’s directions. Visitors must stay at least 7 metres away from gorillas and not touch them to protect them. Visitors cannot eat or drink near gorillas. Follow these recommendations to protect tourists and gorillas.
The Trekking Experience
Encountering the Gorillas
Trekking with Rwanda gorillas is a thrilling opportunity to get up close and personal with one of the most endangered animals on Earth. Hikers at Volcanoes National Park get a chance to see gorillas in their native habitat as they forage through the dense forests.
Even though gorillas are used to humans, it’s still important for visitors to keep their distance and follow certain regulations to ensure everyone’s safety. Keep at least 7 metres away from gorillas, and don’t make eye contact or move too quickly.
Guides and Rangers
The trip is led by trained rangers and guides who are familiar with gorilla habits and behaviours to ensure everyone’s safety. Tourists may learn more about the gorillas and their environment from these knowledgeable guides, who are also well-versed in the local culture.
Tourists are reminded to respect the gorillas and their habitat by rangers and guides who enforce trek limitations. Also included are communication devices and emergency first-aid kits.
Conservation Efforts
Hiking with Rwanda gorillas is an exciting and important part of protecting these animals. The conservation initiatives and park communities are supported by the trekking permit price.
Gorillas and their habitat are less affected by humans because of the stringent regulations of the expedition. Preventing trash and environmental disruption and limiting everyday visits are part of this.
Trekking with Rwanda gorillas is an exciting way to help preserve these endangered animals.
Beyond Trekking
Gorilla trekking is Rwanda’s biggest attraction, although tourists may enjoy other activities. Some excellent things to do and see after the hike.
Local Attractions: Akagera and Nyungwe Forest National Parks are in Rwanda. Visitors may view elephants, lions, and chimpanzees in these parks. Lake Kivu and Rusumo Falls are among the other attractions in the nation.
Cultural Experiences: Rwanda’s culture offers several cultural experiences. Visitors may learn about Rwandan culture in the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village, a popular attraction. Local markets and traditional dance performances are further cultural activities.
Extended Wildlife Safaris: Rwanda offers extended wildlife experiences beyond gorillas. These excursions may show tourists giraffes, zebras, and hippos. The Big Five Safari, which sees lions, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, and rhinos, is popular.
Besides gorilla trekking, Rwanda has many more activities. Local attractions, cultural activities, and extended wildlife safaris await visitors.
Hosts have the primary responsibility of keeping the crowd engaged with the flow of the entire program, as well as interacting with each of the audience in a way they see fit. However, Jo Koy’s hosting seemed to have rubbed the audience and the entire online world the wrong way, and for a good reason.
Photo from Los Angeles Times
The comments that people were the most bothered about were misogynistic jokes about the Barbie film, which the cast responded to with crickets in the audience. Dubbed by Time as the “worst Golden Globes joke,” Jo Koy said, “Oppenheimer is based on a 721-page Pulitzer Prize-winning book about the Manhattan Project, and Barbie is on a plastic doll with big boobies … The key moment in Barbie is when she goes from perfect beauty to bad breath, cellulite, and flat feet. Or what casting directors call character actor!” The camera panned out to the crowd, including Barbie’s co-writer and director, Greta Gerwig, with a very unimpressed face.
Photo from Entertainment Weekly
For the worst, Jo Koy also made comments about the Taylor Swift, mentioning how the Golden Globes has fewer camera shots of her compared to the NFL. This is something the singer-songwriter has previously commented on in the aftermath of football fans complaining about her presence in Travis Kelce’s games, which the NFL loves to make noise about. Swift said in an interview prior to the Golden Globes that she is simply there to support Kelce, and she has no idea whether or not the screens are showing her. Jo Koy, making a joke about something she’s already uncomfortable about, was responded to by the global superstar with a blank face and a sip of her drink.
Photo from People
Jo Koy admitted to having an off night, saying he only signed to the gig 10 days before the actual event, explaining why his material wasn’t that good. “Some [jokes] I wrote, some other people wrote,” the standup comedian said after one of his lines fell flat. “Yes, I got the gig 10 days ago! You want a perfect monologue? Yo, shut up. You’re kidding me, right? Slow down, I wrote some of these, and they are the ones you are laughing at.”
Photo from ABC News
Netizens still think that as the host and as someone whose mouth those words have come out of, it’s still his responsibility to be wary of the impact of the jokes he makes about people. Discerning whether or not something is misogynistic or insensitive ought to be paramount, especially when one’s job is to keep the night in the right flow.
Tiktok is a site, like many others, that picks up on what’s up and coming to turn it into a trend. This is the nature of social media, a general marketing ploy that generates revenue for content creators. Now that Sinulog is fast approaching, it’s no surprise that people are catching up.
Photo from Unsplash
Sinulog is a widely known festival, not just to Cebuanos, but across the nation and even outside of the country, leading international celebrities to come to Cebu City to know what it’s like to celebrate it. The festival started to be a highly religious one – the buildup being celebrated through a novena in Sto. Nino Church, processions and other forms of devotion. Its religious characteristic will always be inherent to it, no matter the times. But it is also clear how the festival has evolved so much more than that, being celebrated by a lot through raves and parties, far beyond the dance competitions and the street shows with people in costumes and a festival queen that holds a Sto. Niño statuette.
Photo from Rappler
With modernity extending beyond real life into the online world, a recent Sinulog Tiktok dance has become viral. With any other kind of music, the dance community of Tiktok always makes usual Tiktok dance moves with a lot of arm and hand movements and minimal footwork, easy to follow to spark a trend. The Sinulog music turns out to be no exception.
a Tiktok video snippet from Millenial Catholics on Facebook
A lot of devotees are calling out this trend, saying it is borderline blasphemous because of the sacredness of the Sinulog dance. The dance, just like a lot of religious practices even in pre-colonial Philippines, is an offering to a deity; a ritual-prayer dedicated to Sto. Niño. Netizens spoke against the trend, describing the dance moves as inappropriate and far beyond what Sinulog is all about.
Photo from LiCas News
Apollo Nelmida, the creator of the modern Sinulog dance, responded on Tiktok saying “Sinulog is a celebration for or dear Sto. Niño. There was a story when he was a kid and he is a very kind kid who likes to have fun so I guess there is nothing wrong about enjoying [the] [Sinulog] song (e.g. dancing and singing).”
The internet is currently in a frenzy, with devotees criticizing the new generation for always feeling the need to make everything modern, while others are defending it saying that faith and the celebration of it are subjective and personal.
Photo from Rappler
With the debate still ongoing, the general population is at a divide, not arriving at a consensus regarding where to draw the line between the traditional practice of sacred rituals and its evolution.
Mercer’s Total Remuneration Survey of 2023 just revealed that there is a chance that salaries in the Philippines might increase in 2024.
Photo from Mercer
The salary of Filipino employees might increase by 6.2 percent. The increase is because of the demand for skilled professionals, and companies must keep those with competitive talent in the market. Moreover, inflation also plays a huge part.
Photo from Nikkei Asia
According to Mercer, employees who work in the energy sector might get an increase of 7%. However, tech (6.8%), retail (6.7%), wholesale (6.7%), and consumer goods (6.5%)also projected increases.
Photo from The Beat Asia
In addition, Mercer also revealed that the Philippines surpasses the average increase of other Asian countries. India, Vietnam, and Indonesia are also projecting higher salaries in 2024.
