Sinulog
What Is It
The Sinulog Festival is an annual religious festival characterized with appealing music, colorful costumes
and props, and street dances in honor of the Philippines’ most famous historic relic – the Santo Niño de
Cebu. The festival is said to attract one to two million visitors for both the religious parts of the
celebration as well as its famous street dances – which occurs both the day before the celebration and
the festival day itself.
This week-long celebration is highlighted
by the procession of the replica image in
the major streets of the city, a fluvial
procession of the replica in Mactan
Channel, and the grand street parade of
floats and dancers on early morning of
the third Sunday of January from
different schools, towns, and other
organizations.
The Origins of the Festival
As previously stated, the festival celebrates the Santo Niño de Cebu. The relic was given by the
Portuguese Explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, to Rajah Humabon, Leader of Cebu, when he arrived in 1521.
The word "Sinulog” comes from the Cebuano word “Sulog” which means “like the movement of water
currents.” The festival is normally celebrated every third Sunday of January. The first Sinulog Parade was
orchestrated by David Odilao Jr., Regional Director of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development or
MYSD in 1980. Dancers and parade committee members came from seven schools and universities that
spearheaded the dance parade. It was this event that gave birth to the festival itself as the mayor of
Cebu picked it up and held the first Sinulog Festival the following year, in 1981
The Origin of the Dance
There are two instances that is
officially accepted as the origin of the
festival dance and the origin of the
official dance steps.
The first event occurred during the
initial handing of the relic from
Magellan to Humabon. It is said that
Reyna Juana, Rajah Humabon’s main
consort, danced in joy upon receiving
the holy image while holding it in her
hands. As she danced, the natives
watching the spectacle followed suit,
and the event was regarded as the
“First Sinulog Dance.”
The Music of Sinulog
Sinulog Festival never ceases to amaze its audience as it is continuously celebrated with colorful and
well-made costumes of the dancers, beautiful dances with the music brought by the drums, trumpets
and native gongs. At present, there is no specific music in the sense that the Sinulog music is dependent
on the choreographer concept. The instruments
as well as the speed and variation of musicality is
within the thematic concept of the celebration.
They adopted the “Sinulog beat” which are mixed
with faster rhythmic pattern popularly known as
“One Beat, One Dance One Vision” as theme. Pit
Senyor is the chant completing devotees’ offering
dance of Sinulog (two steps forward and one step
backward to the rhythmic sounds of a drums or
the movements resembling the water current) in
honor of the miraculous Santo Niño.
Activity 1 – Explain these words
Directions: Below are words or concepts related to the Sinulog Festival. In one to three sentences try to
explain what these words or concepts are. Then make a summary of your learnings.
Pit Senyor
Santo Niño de Cebu
Sulog
One beat, One Dance, One
Vision
I learned that…
__________________________________________________________________________________
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Activity 2 – Reading Comprehension
Direction: Read the questions carefully. Choose and circle the correct answer to each question.
1. How is Sinulog festival described?
A. It is a religious and cultural festival of Cebu.
B. It is a celebration to pay honor to the cross.
C. It is a folk-religious feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
2. How did the word Sinulog, the name given to the festival, come about?
A. It came from the word “Sunog” meaning dance.
B. It came from the word “Sulog” meaning movement of the water current.
C. It came from the Word “Nulog” meaning merry making.
3. Which of the following is the true account of the origin of Sinulog Festival?
A. The feast started as the natives of the land danced with the relic.
B. The feast started when queen Juana danced with joy as she received the relic.
C. Both A and B.
4. Which of the following movements became the standard steps in Sinulog dance?
A. Dancers mimic the movement of water current.
B. Dancers move 2 steps forward and one step backward.
C. Dancers perform both the movement in option A and B.
5. When is Sinulog Festival celebrated?
A. It is held every third Sunday of January.
B. It is held every first Sunday of January
C. It is held anytime in January.
6. When is Sinulog Festival celebrated?
A. It is held every third Sunday of January.
B. It is held every first Sunday of January
C. It is held anytime in January.
