EDITORIAL - Pray Rama makes the right choice

By the time this editorial comes out those working on the site where the Sinulog ritual showdown will take place at the South Road Properties have just two days including today to make the place acceptable for performers, spectators, judges, emergency personnel, and production crew, among others.

From what we have seen, it isn’t encouraging at all, even as the dedicated construction personnel move double-time to finish everything.

Mud still dominates the grounds. Even a little rain can turn it into a sloppy mess worthy of a mosh pit, and the stage cannot yet be properly called a stage as of this writing. Are we to believe that something finished so hurriedly can bear the wear and tear of hundreds of performers one after the other?

And if we are to televise the event, we can expect a lot of electricity to be involved. Not good with a venue that is under a possibly wet sky.

The forecast also isn’t on the side of holding this event there; according to PAGASA Metro Cebu will be partly cloudy with a chance of rainshowers and/or thunderstorms on January 15.

While there are those who say the Holy Child has been known to pull off miracles and all we have to do is have faith,  we must have a backup plan just in case. And that means holding the Sinulog ritual showdown where it has traditionally been held for years --at the Cebu City Sports Center.

Except perhaps for the traffic plan, preparations to have the event moved there will be at a minimal because it doesn’t involve totally transforming a sea of grass and mud into a venue that can support hundreds of dancers, thousands of spectators, and the thousands more needed to make the event a success.

With all that said, we also see why Mayor Michael Rama is pushing to hold the ritual showdown at the SRP.

If Mayor Rama gets this right, the SRP can actually become an excellent venue for future Sinulog events and most importantly it will free the downtown and uptown areas of the city of the perennial gridlock caused by carousel route whenever the third Sunday of January arrives.

Only Mayor Rama will have the final say about where the ritual showdown will be held and no haranguing on the part of anyone can change his mind. Let’s just hope he gets the decision right.

Like we said earlier a lot is riding on this iteration of the Sinulog ritual showdown; it may set the tone of future Sinulog celebrations to come, it may even decide the political fate of some of our leaders.