Categories
Cebu

Sinulog Sa Carmen

Sinulog Sa Carmen is a cultural and religious fest in the town of Carmen, Cebu, Philippines held every fourth Sunday of January. It is a celebration of the religious fiesta of the Child Jesus, known more popularly locally as the Sto. Niño.

It is one of the participating cultural fests in Pasigarbo sa Sugbo.

Etymology

Sinulog sa Carmen translates to Sinulog in Carmen. The word sinulog comes from sulog, which describes the way water flows.

History of Sinulog sa Carmen

Sinulog sa Carmen is considered in some accounts as the first cultural-religious festival in honor of the Child Jesus that involved public Mardi Gras-like spectacle and street-dance in the province of Cebu. The fest traced its origin to the Ati-Atihan Festival of Kalibo, Aklan.

In Kalibo, the devotion to the Sto. Niño was held in the style of Mardi Gras for years and in 1972, it was officially named Ati-Atihan Festival by the local government. It was the inspiration for a similar celebration Iloilo known as Dinagyang Festival which began in 1969.

Parish priest Fr. Jose Motus from Kalibo brought the tradition to the town of Carmen and the first Sinulog, then called Ati-Atihan sa Carmen, was organized during the term of Mayor Virginio Villamor in 1973. A year later, it was renamed to what it is known today as Sinulog Sa Carmen. Its schedule was moved from every third week of January to every fourth week of the month.

Meanwhile, Sinulog Festival, grandest cultural festival in the Philippines and organized by the Cebu City government, debuted in 1980.

Sinulog sa Carmen attracted attention in 2023 when Gwen Garcia, then the governor of Cebu, declared that ten dance contingents from the province would not join the Cebu City-organized Sinulog Festival. The stunning move was prompted by the way that year’s fest was organized. The Cebu City government transferred the grand parade and venue from the usual route along the main thoroughfares of the city to the South Reclamation Project (SRP).

As preparations were still underway days before the event, Garcia said that the withdrawal was meant for the safety and security of the participants. The said contingents later joined Sinulog sa Carmen a week later.

Devotion to Sto. Niño in Carmen

According to oral tradition, the devotion to Sto. Niño in Carmen is said to have begun with the discovery of its effigy by a fisherman in Luyang. The image is made from dark wood, making it a shade darker than the Holy Child icon gifted by Ferdinand Magellan to Rajah Humabon’s consort in 1521.

Other claims about the provenance of the Sto. Niño in Carmen existed. Some people believed that it was given by the Spaniards, maybe even by Magellan himself or Miguel Lopez de Legazpi who successfully colonized the Philippines beginning in 1565. One other assertion stated it was given by the Spaniards before Magellan bestowed the gift of the Sto. Niño to Rajah Humabon’s consort.

Many believed that the Sto. Niño in Carmen is miraculous, saving the people at the height of Moro raids that devastated coastal plains in the archipelago between 16th and 19th century.

The oral tradition also mentioned that Luyang was a pre-colonial marketplace where foreign traders exchanged goods with the natives in the olden times. Proofs of such a claim are the presence of an old watchtower in Luyang as well as excavation and looting in the 1970s that revealed artifacts from ancient grave-site.

An expert opinion pointed out that the Sto. Niño in Carmen may have been brought by an Augustinian priest in the pursuit of spreading Christianity and establishing a mission and chapel-at-ease (visita).

How to reach Carmen, Cebu

From the airport, get a ride to the North Bus Terminal and then take a bus to the town of Carmen.

References

Sinulog Sa Carmen Summary

NameSinulog Sa Carmen
CelebrationCulture, Religion
Contact0906 445 1927
CountryPhilippines
DateFourth Sunday of January
Emailcarmencebutourismoffice@gmail.com
Established1973
Facebookwww.facebook.com
FounderFr. Jose Motus
LocationCarmen, Cebu
OrganizerLocal Government of Carmen
PatronSto. Niño
Previous NameAti-Atihan sa Carmen
ReligionRoman Catholic