Carcar, Bais big winners at Sinulog

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CEBU CITY — The cities of Carcar in Southern Cebu and Bais City in Negros Oriental emerged as the big winners at the Sinulog 2025 Grand Parade and Ritual Showdown on Sunday.

Carcar City dominated the competition, winning both the Street Dance and Sinulog-based categories, while Bais City claimed victory in the Free Interpretation segment, highlighting the continued tradition and excellence of regional celebrations.

The Sinulog-based category features traditional performances honoring the Señor Santo Niño with the classic Sinulog dance, preserving Cebu's cultural heritage. The Free Interpretation category allows for creative expression, where participants can incorporate diverse choreography, costumes, and innovative themes, still honoring the Santo Niño.

DANCING GOVERNOR Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia (center) is hailed as the Festival Queen of the guest performer City of Naga's Dagitab Festival. She was joined on stage by mayors (from left) Glenn Bercede of Mandaue, Raymond Alvin Garcia of Cebu City, Junard Chan of Lapu-Lapu and Valdemer Chiong of Naga City. PHOTO BY KAISER JAN FUENTES

Major winners

Carcar City claimed top honors in the Sinulog-based category of the Ritual Showdown competition and won P3,000,000 in cash prizes.

Mandaue City took second place, earning P2,000,000, while Talisay City secured third place with P1,500,000.

Danao City earned P1,000,000 for fourth place as the Inayawan Talents Guild from Cebu City completed the top five and won P750,000.

Mandaue also earned the Best in Costume award, adding P100,000 to their total purse.

Bais City shone brightly in the Free Interpretation category of the Ritual Showdown competition, earning first place and P3,000,000 for their "Festival of Harvest" performance.

Tribu Masadyaon from Toledo City was awarded second place with P2,000,000, while Lapu-Lapu City claimed third with a prize of P1,500,000.

Lumad Basakanon from Cebu City ranked fourth and pocketed P1,000,000 while Tribu Malipayon from Consolacion placed fifth and took home P750,000.

Tribu Masadyaon also won the Best in Costume award, securing an additional P100,000.

In the Street Dance competition, Carcar City continued its streak and delivered an exceptional performance, taking home first place and the cash prize of P1,000,000.

Lumad Basakanon from Cebu City secured second place and the P700,000 prize.

Bais City's "Festival of Harvest" earned third place and the P500,000 prize while Dumaguete City's Sandurot Festival ranked fourth with P300,000. Kidapawan City's Performing Arts Guild rounded out the top five and claimed the P200,000 purse.

Guest contingents also performed on Sunday, including the Bacolod City local government's MassKara Festival which wowed the spectators.

MassKara dancer Jeffrey told The Manila Times said they are proud to bring their culture on the Sinulog Festival stage, saying in Filipino that "We were overwhelmed and we did not know that impact of the people here."

This is their second year performing as guest contingent at the Sinulog Festival.

Other awards

Carcar City triumphed in the Musicality for Sinulog-based category, followed by Mandaue City and Banauan Cultural Group, which claimed second and third places, respectively. Other notable mentions include Inayawan Talents Guild and Sinulog sa Carmen.

In the Free Interpretation category, Tribu Masadyaon claimed the Musicality title with Baile Filipina Dance Guild from Dipolog City securing second place and Dumaguete's Sandurot Festival placing third overall.

Lapu-Lapu City and Tanglawan Festival from San Jose Del Monte completed the top five, respectively.

The amount of winnings in the Best in Musicality contest was not announced.

Float, giants and puppeteers

The Float category was highly competitive, with IPI Main Float taking first place, followed by The Sleep Specialist (Uratex) in second, and Bellyshayce Foods, Inc. in third.

In the Higante or Giant category, "Mangingistorya" (Story Teller) earned first place, while "Festival Queen" and "The World's Intertwine" ranked second and third, respectively.

Orly Johnson Fuentes dominated the Puppeteers category, securing both first and second places. Christine Ermac earned third place for her remarkable contribution.

The VIPs

The Sinulog 2025 Grand Parade was not only a celebration of Cebu's rich cultural heritage, but also a magnet for dignitaries and prominent figures. Special Assistant to the President Anton Lagdameo represented President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. while Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia hosted a vibrant fiesta lunch at the Cebu Capitol for the high-profile guests.

Notable attendees included Senator JV Ejercito, former Senator Kiko Pangilinan, his wife Sharon Cuneta, Negros Oriental Gov. Chaco Sagarbarria and Deputy House Speaker Camille Villar.

At the Cebu City Sports Center, Senators Bong Go, Risa Hontiveros and Lito Lapid, and former senators Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan, along with retired Col. Ariel Querubin, former DILG secretary Benhur Abalos and human rights advocate Chel Diokno graced the festivities.

Safety concerns

Despite the excitement and spectacle of the Sinulog 2025 festivities, the event was not without its challenges, particularly concerning crowd management.

Several contingents withdrew from portions of the street dance competition due to safety concerns related to the overwhelming crowds.

The Cebu City delegates The Kalunasan Cultural Dance Troupe, Banauan Cultural Group from Barangay Guadalupe, and Barangay Basak Pardo's contingent, which included minors, were forced to halt their performances.

Spokespersons from the affected groups raised concerns about the lack of effective crowd control measures.

Kalunasan, for example, cited the potential risk of a stampede, while Banauan's spokesperson, Kurt Cabajar, described being stuck in a congested area for three hours without crowd management.

The packed crowd caused delays, resulting in the cancellation of some performances due to safety reasons.

Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia of Cebu City, however, attributed the issues to the sheer number of festival goers, calling it a "good problem" while lauding the overall execution of the event.

Garcia also expressed his pride in declaring the event a success.