Cebu City is dancing through adversity—and doing it in devotion.
Even as search-and-rescue operations continue at the Binaliw landfill and questions swirl around garbage collection, the city is pushing ahead with its biggest act of faith: Sinulog.
For Cebu, postponing devotion isn’t an option. Instead, officials are calling on the city to move forward together—one beat, one prayer, one step at a time.
At a January 12 press conference, Mayor Nestor Archival struck a reverent yet resolute tone, framing Sinulog not as a distraction from crisis but as a spiritual response to it.
“Dance is a way of praising the Lord, the Santo Niño,” Archival said. “We ask Him for the graces of life—not division.”
That spirit defines Sinulog, the country’s largest religious and cultural festival honoring the Santo Niño, whose roots trace back to the arrival of Christianity in 1521.
At its heart is the iconic sinulog dance—two steps forward, one step back—symbolizing the journey of faith itself. Around it swirl fluvial processions, street parades, novenas, drumbeats, and dazzling costumes that draw millions of devotees and visitors each January.
This year’s celebration began January 9 with novena masses and cultural events, including Sinulog sa Dakbayan. The festivities crescendo on Sinulog Sunday, January 18, with the Grand Parade and ritual showdown—Cebu’s streets transformed into a living prayer.
“Let us come together to support our contingents as they dance, drum, and celebrate in unity and thanksgiving,” Archival urged in a social media post.
Addressing concerns tied to the landfill crisis, the mayor leaned into a deeply Cebuano concept: sangpit—a heartfelt call made with faith and intention.
“Celebrating the Santo Niño, we call that sangpit,” he explained. “Sangpit is a way of asking through dance. We are not here to throw accusations. Regarding garbage, we are doing the best we can.”
More than a word, sangpit captures the essence of Sinulog: a collective plea rooted in trust, respect, and hope. In challenging moments, Cebu dances not to escape reality, but to face it—with prayer.
Archival also pointed to Sinulog as a symbolic warm-up for the city’s global moment, as Cebu prepares to host major international events, including the ASEAN Summit. The message is clear: resilience is part of the choreography.
And the dancers are ready.
All 17 contingents of Sinulog sa Dakbayan have officially qualified for the 2026 Grand Parade and Contest. According to the mayor, they will bring more than spectacle to the streets—each performance a moving expression of unity, thanksgiving, and faith in motion.
In Cebu, even amid crisis, the drums still beat. The city still prays. And Sinulog, as always, dances forward.
