EDITORIAL - May the faith remain unshakable

Yesterday an estimated 2.5 million to three million people took part in the solemn procession of the Fiesta Señor, the highlight of the religious activities of Sinulog celebration.

It’s nice to know that even with all the trouble going on around us, people still have faith in the Almighty.

The year 2020 didn’t begin well at all. Even before the first week of the year ended, there was already the threat of armed conflict that could spread on a worldwide scale. In the local scene there were many fires that displaced hundreds of people. Then there was the eruption of Taal Volcano, which is still ongoing and causing suffering for so many of our countrymen.

It is times like these that remind people that everything can change in the blink of an eye. You never know what tomorrow can bring. Everything you have worked hard for, even everyone you love, can be taken from you in an instant. The truth is that we are all just riding on the current of life, “sulog” being a native word for current, and the origin of the word “Sinulog,” and we won’t always have control.

This is more reason for people to not trust and rely on their own strength alone, but also the guidance, blessing, and protection of the divine.

And yesterday’s show of force and only reinforces the fact that Cebuanos, Filipinos from other parts of the country, and the world, and even some foreign devotees, remain  faithful and hopeful that things will become better, even with all the trials and tribulations that continue to surround them.

As we move on with the already-turbulent year that is 2020, let our faith remain unshaken and unshakable. Yes, hard times are guaranteed, but what is also guaranteed is that there will always be the Santo Niño whom people can turn to for solace and comfort during such times.

And today, even as we celebrate the Grand Parade and make merry with the street dancing and parties, let us still not forget that every moment is fleeting and that we actually exert very little control of as we go through the current of life.

Let our faith take us through the sulog, come what may.

Pit Señor!