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More than one million devotees are expected to join the annual solemn procession for the Sto. Niño, on foot and by sea, on Saturday, officials said.
It would make sense to bring umbrellas.
The unusual spate of rains in Cebu and the rest of the Visayas may last until the weekend, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
Even the Philippine Coast Guard is anticipating rough seas and will require all vessels to have life jackets on board as a safety measure.
Yesterday, the waves off Cebu were five to seven meters high with winds reaching 48 kilometers per hour, according to Pagasa. Seas were “rough to very rough.” Some inter-island vessels suspended their trips.
Pagasa warned fishing boats and small seacraft not to go on sea.
The weather disturbance is forecast over the next three days.
“The heavy rains we are experiencing now are evidence that we are having a wet season that is wetter than usual. It is abnormal but not highly unusual. It happens,” Pagasa weather bureau chief Nathaniel Cruz said.
Cruz said a surge of the northeast monsoon – icy wind blowing in from the northern hemisphere experienced from October to March — was triggering rainshowers and cold temperatures.
But rain or no rain, both the religious activities of the Fiesta Señor and the Sinulog grand parade will go on this Saturday and Sunday.
Tomorrow, Friday, the traditional translacion will have a motorcade bring the image of the Sto. Niño enshrined at the Basilica to the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue City, where it will stay overnight.
The image will be brought back to Cebu City in a fluvial procession on Saturday.
The vessel carrying the image will cross the Mactan Channel to Cebu City where the image is unloaded and brought to the basilica.
The annual solemn foot procession, which is expected to draw huge crowds of devotees, will start at 2 p.m. and follow a seven-kilometer route from the basilica through major Cebu City roads.
At least 46 seacraft have signed up for the fluvial procession this Saturday but the Coast Guard is expecting the number to go up today, the deadline of the registration. Last year, about 100 vessels joined the sea procession.
Participating vessels are strictly required to bring life jackets in anticipation of the strong winds and waves, said Chief Petty Officer Virgilio Tibayan, deputy commander of the Cebu Coast Guard Station.
No firecrackers are allowed to avoid accidents.
Whether small motorized pumpboats will be allowed to sail will be discussed today.
The rains will not dampen the spirit of devotees who will join the solemn foot procession.
Tessie Navios, Basilica staff member, said the procession will push through even if it will rain.
“Mangabasa, mangabasa basta dayon ang procession. Automatic nana magdala sila og umbrella (It doesn't matter if we will get wet but the procession will push through. It is understood that devotees should bring their umbrellas),” she added.
Fr. Rodulfo Bugna, Basilica del Sto. Niño rector, said he expected the number of participants to go up to one million this year from 800,000 last year because the figure usually increases every year.
But for Navios, more people are joining the procession because of the global economic crisis.
“Mosamot gyud ka daghan ron kay lisud man ang panahon daghan makaila sa Ginoo (More people will join because the hard times will make them want to know God),” Navios said.
The Sinulog Foundation Inc. (SFI) isn’t taking any chance.
It will donate more eggs to the Carmelite Monastery in barangay Mabolo, Cebu City to ask the nuns to pray for good weather during the Grand Parade on Sunday.
“I really believe in this. It has been a tradition to send eggs to the Camelites,” said Dolores Suzara, SFI project director.
Two trays of eggs were sent by the SFI to the monastery twice. One was for the Jan. 9 opening program of the Sinulog. The second was for the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan and Dakbayan on Jan. 10 and 11.
Suzara admitted that she was worried that heavy rains would jeopardize the parade and affect the performances of the contingents.
“There is nothing we can do but pray because rain or shine, the Sinulog will go on. We cannot postpone it because it would mean additional expense,” she said.
“We will send more eggs,” Suzara told an office staff.
“But I still hope and pray that if it rains, it won’t be strong,” she told CDN.
A downpour could ruin the costumes and props of contingents, and make expose the dancers to illness.
Suzara recalled that it briefly rained during the Sinulog Grand Parade in 1985 and 2008. The rains stopped the flow of parade for a few minutes.
Last year, the final performances at the Cebu City Sports Center were stopped because the rainwater made the surface of the stage too slippery for the dancers.
Dancing was transferred to the rubber track beside the stage while cleaners drained the stage of rainwater.
Ricky Ballesteros, Sinulog executive director, said they had thought of coating the stage with a rubberized mat to prevent dancers from slipping when it rained but that would be very expensive.
He also turned down a proposal to add a roof onstage because this would obstruct the view of the audience in the grandstand and limit the use of lights and other backdrops especially during the grand finale.
All they could do is pray for good weather, he said.
Moving the competition to a later date would dampen the enthusiasm of the dancing contingents.
As of 7 p.m. yesterday, a total of 43 contingents have listed for Sunday's grand parade - 26 in the Free Interpretation (FI) category and17 in Sinulog Based (SB) category.
In 2008, a total of 51 contingents joined the Sinulog - 22 in the SB and 29 in the FI.
Ballesteros said two runners up in the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan – Danao City and the municipality of Sogod - did not register for the grand parade.
Out of town contingents from Himalalod in Negros Oriental and San Carlor City also missed this year's competition.
“There are fewer contingents this year but their performances have better quality. The other out-of-town contingents want to join next year so they can better prepare,” he said. /Reporters Doris C. Bongcac and Correspondents Jhunnex Napallacan and Chris Ligan with Inquirer
