Sinulog Festival

Brace for uncooperative weather.

This was the warning given by the weather bureau after Cebuanos had been experiencing nippy strong winds and occasional rain in the past days due to the tail end of a cold front and a surge in the northeast monsoon or icy wind blowing in from Siberia.

PAGASA put up a gale warning signal for fishing boats and other small seacraft not to venture out to the sea since the waves were about five to seven meters high. The wind last week was recorded between 55 and 68 kilometers per hour. It was pretty strong considering that no storm was in sight.

The unusual weather made the Philippine Coast Guard think about banning small seacraft from the fluvial procession that would take the image of the Sto. Niño and the Our Lady of Guadalupe back to Cebu City.

Devotees were even advised to bring their umbrellas if they planned to join the solemn foot procession on Saturday afternoon.

But trust the Sto. Niño.

The water was calm and the dark clouds cleared when more than 100 vessels escorted the “galleon” that carried the images of the Sto. Niño, Our Lady of Guadalupe and a wooden bust of a suffering Jesus Christ, the Ecce Homo, in its short voyage to Cebu City.

In the afternoon, more than one million devotees joined the seven-kilometer procession, the longest stretch ever for the annual prayer walk on the eve of the Feast of the Sto. Niño. None of them had to use their umbrellas.

Although there were dark clouds hovering, it did not break into rain. Instead, it shielded the devotees from what could have been intense glare of the afternoon sun. Their feet were tired by the long walk but the cool breeze seemed to egg them to go on.

The dark clouds did not return during the Pontifical Mass officiated by Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal at the Basilica del Sto. Niño to celebrate the feast day of the Holy Child Jesus yesterday.

It rained in the afternoon but it was too brief to cause problems for the organizers or the 51 contingents of the Grand Parade. A downpour could bring a lot of problems – from damaged costumes to smudged makeup.

The weather did not spoil the solemn festivities or the Sinulog revelries on Saturday and Sunday.

It may have had something to do with the eggs offered to the Carmelite nuns in barangay Mabolo, Cebu City to pray for favorable weather.

But it has everything to do with the Sto. Niño and how the Holy Child Jesus loves the Cebuanos.