Sinulog at SRP, not now!

One thing is sure; nobody can stop Mayor Michael Rama from insisting on holding the Sinulog ritual showdown at the South Road Properties. This is despite the fact that the idea is hugely unpopular.

Let us first make a distinction that is important to the discussion. That distinction is between the Fiesta Señor and Sinulog Festival, dubbed as the queen of all festivals.

On the one hand, the Fiesta Señor is an exclusively-religious event led by the Augustinian priests at the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño. In this context, we have Walk with Jesus and Mary, the Traslacion, the fluvial procession, solemn procession, Novena Masses, and pontifical Masses.

The Sinulog Festival, on the other hand, is cultural and tourism-oriented. The Sinulog Foundation Inc. and the Cebu City government lead this. In other words, the Sinulog grand parade, with the fabulous prizes, is cultural, not religious, and not church-led.

It is in this context that using public funds is justified.

Note that as a general rule, under the principle of the separation of Church and State and the non-establishment clause in the 1987 Philippine Constitution, public funds cannot be used for religious purposes.

Article VI Section 29 states that no public money or property shall be appropriated, applied, paid, or employed, directly or indirectly, for the use, benefit, or support of any sect, church, denomination, sectarian institution, etc. Therefore the government’s spending of millions of pesos on the Sinulog, which supports the Roman Catholic religion, is highly questionable.

However, such principles have exceptions, as discussed by the Supreme Court. For government funds to be allowable, the following requisites must concur:

1.) It must have a secular legislative purpose;

2.) It must have a primary effect that neither advances nor inhibits religion

3.) It must not require excessive entanglement with recipient institutions.

So the government’s spending of public funds for the Sinulog can be justified. Cebu City spent ?60 million, while the Cebu Province donated ?12 million pesos for this year’s Sinulog Festival.

The justification for this is secular. They emphasized that the main purpose is to promote Cebu culture and tourism, etc. The Catholic Church inevitably benefited from it, not as primary, but only incidental.

So, because the purpose of the Sinulog Festival is to promote culture and tourism, it is only logical to hold it in a way that will boost tourism and culture, not diminish or shame it.

With honest-to-goodness evaluation, the SRP needs to be prepared and presentable to tourists. It is risky to both the contingents and the spectators whatever weather condition we will have during the grand parade.

It would have been better if the venue had been ready long before the event. The same could have been tested during the Sinulog sa Kabataan before the main Sinulog grand parade. At least there is still time to make some improvements.

For now, holding of Sinulog Festival at SRP, with all the inconveniences and risks it offers, is far from promoting tourism and culture. Preparation is indispensable. We must build a structure that will not make us laughable before the whole world. Why the haste?

For many reasons, I fully agree with Mayor Mike Rama that the Sinulog should be held at the SRP. Next year at the very least, but not now! It is still best to return to the proven venue, the Cebu City Sports Center.

Viva, Pit Senyor!