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CEBU CITY, Philippines - The Cebu City government yesterday allocated P10 million for the Sinulog Foundation Inc. – P8 million for contest prizes, and P2 million for the grand finale expenses.
The City Council approved the allocation and authorized Acting Mayor Michael Rama, overall Sinulog chairman, to sign an agreement with SFI for the fund use.
With little more than a week to go before the Jan. 18 grand parade, funding for the event is now just P2.5 million short of the P23 million target.
“Other sponsors are still coming in. I’m confident that we will meet our target,” said Ricky Ballesteros, foundation executive director.
So far, the foundation has raised P9.5 million in sponsorships – P7 million in cash and P2.5 million worth or products.
The Department of Tourism pledged P1 million.
A total P20.5 million is available or P2.5 million short of the SFI’s target.
Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia yesterday said she was willing to have give financial aid from the Capitol once she gets a solicitation letter.
She earlier pledged P500,000 to support the Cebu Carousel project, a series of blown-up tarpaulins showing landmarks and tourist sites of Cebu. The same amount was given last year.
Garcia said she was also willing to give financial aid the municipality of Alcoy to allow them to defend their title as last year’s winner of the Sinulog-Based Category in the grand parade.
Ticket sales to the Cebu City sports complex to watch the parade contingents perform on stage are expected to raise P1.5 million to P1.8 million with another another P1.5 million to P1.7 million from rentals of 65 Sinulog street fair booths.
Merchants lease the booths for P25,000 to P30,000 from Dec. 1, 2008 to Jan. 31, 2009. /With Correspondent Jully Venus Cuizon
