“I tell you, if you’re in the front row of the parade and you stop walking, pretty soon you’re back in the tuba section. And if you want to lead the parade you’ve got to keep moving.” –Dr. Phil McGraw

Cebu City’s Sinulog Festival replaced Iloilo City’s Dinagyang Festival in this year’s Philippine Independence Day Parade, which ran along New York City’s Madison Avenue last Sunday. In addition, this year’s festivities were also without Guimaras’ Manggahan Festival, which also participated in last year’s parade.
As with many cultural festivals in the Philippines, it is held in honor of the Santo Niño. Sinulog refers to a dance that moves to the sound of drums and resembles the water currents, or sulog, of the Pahina River. They say “It’s Sinulog” in Cebuano; the significance of the dance surpasses the mere meaning of the word.
The Sinulog Festival is traditionally held every third Sunday of January and has been going on for 32 years. The event is led by a dance that tells the story of the Filipino people’s pagan past and their acceptance of Christianity.
Aside from the parade, organizers of the event, the Philippine Independence Day Council Inc., also hold a street fair and cultural show in Madison Square Park, the Diwa ng Kalayaan coronation pageant and gala, Philippine Independence Ball, “An Evening with the Consul General,” grand marshal gala, and other fund raising activities.

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Alex P. Vidal, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo./WDJ