Ram Felix Rengel, Jr.
Sinulog: History and Pageantry
Sinulog is a pageantry of faith, a festival held in honor of the Santo Nino, celebrating the origin of the island of Cebu.
Thoughts on Sinulog as a Secular Festival
Festivals are public events celebrated or held either for religious reasons or secular purposes. The activities often involve carefully planned programs or ceremonies, outpourings of admiration, rejoicing, or high revelry. In many cases, especially in pious societies, traditional secular celebrations normally include a religious service.
Señor Sto. Niño de Cebu
Cebu is starting to warm up to its annual Sinulog celebration. I just came from Cebu today and I have to admit that the place is as festive as ever! The streets at night are jammed with traffic with people going to places within the city that offer entertainment. During daytime, the streets are also crowded with people witnessing various street activities like Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan and Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Sugbu.
The Hitlist: Only in the Philippines
From the 1896 Revolution to the first Philippine Republic, the Commonwealth period, the EDSA Revolt, and the tiger cub economy, history marches on. Thankfully, however, some things never change. Like the classics, things irresistibly Pinoy mark us for life. They're the indelible stamp of our identity, the undeniable affinity that binds us like twins. They celebrate the good in us, the best of our culture and the infinite possibilities we are all capable of. Some are so self-explanatory you only need mention them for fellow Pinoys to swoon or drool. Here, from all over the country and in no particular order, are some of the best things that make us unmistakably Pinoy.
Holidays at the Malls
The holiday is that time of the year when mall operators bet their sales to soar. It is also that time of the year when everyone wants to see a piece of Christmas-paradise. And with increasing competition, changing tastes of Filipino consumers and the ever lure of other alternative venues, malls in the Philippines rely on creativity and sheer talent to out-design and outlast one another. It is all about surviving, and cashing in more!
December 25 is Jesus Birthdate
The dictionary defines Christmas as a church festival observed annually on December 25 in memory of the birth of Jesus Christ.
But was Jesus Christ really born on December 25? Some would say that Christmas is just an imitation of the Roman festival of Saturnalia celebrated during the winter solstice. But the winder solstice is on December 21 or 22, why is Christmas on December 25? There must be a better explanation.
Diaspora of the Filipino People
Patricia Evangelista, a 19-year- old, Mass Communications sophomore of University of the Philippines (UP)-Diliman, did the country proud Friday night by besting 59 other student contestants from 37 countries in the 2004 International Public Speaking competition conducted by the English Speaking Union (ESU) in London.
She triumphed over a field of exactly 60 speakers from all over the English-speaking world, including the United States, United Kingdom and Australia.
Prelude to Christmas--Misa de Gallo
My current abode is just a stone-throw away from my local church. As I normally sleep very early in the morning, and early December 16 was no exception, I must be one of the firsts to hear Christmas songs emanating from the church’s amplifiers signaling the start of the traditional Misa de Gallo.
Misa de Gallo is a nine-day series of pre-dawn masses starting on the 16th of December, marking the opening of the Christmas season in the Philippines. Churches are lit up in the early morning as the church grounds are filled with stalls selling Christmas wares and delicacies.
