Make every meal a fiesta with the Golden Palabok, rice noodles with shrimp sauce topped with crispy smoked bangus, pork chicharron, and hard-boiled egg.
For something more filling, order the Seafood Kare-Kare—sautéed mixed seafood and vegetables in creamy peanut butter sauce; or the classic Crispy Whole Fried Chicken, which is always a crowd-pleaser.
No celebration is complete without lechon. At Hukad, those who haven’t been in Cebu for a while will delight in some Lechon Paksiw, choice cuts of lechon belly cooked in vinegar and soy sauce. As one of the traditional ways of serving lechon, it’s sure to evoke some nostalgia.
Another take on this delicacy is the Lechon Sisig, or fried lechon belly sautéed in aromatic spices. This makes for a great appetizer or beer match.
Complete your Sinulog experience with a taste of Cebu’s best, and feast away on local favorites at Hukad.
Hukad is located at Robinson’s Cybergate, Parkmall, South Town
Center, SM Seaside City and Sands Gateway Danao. Golden Cowrie is located at Salinas Drive Lahug, Marina Mall, A.S. Fortuna & SM City Cebu.
Visit www.alwaysafeast.ph and follow www.facebook.com/HukadGoldenCowrie and @alwaysafeast on Instagram to know more about this proudly Cebuano restaurant.
]]>
6:00 a.m. — Attend the Novena Mass at Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino
We can’t celebrate the Sinulog Festival without paying homage to the celebrant—Sto. Nino. Head over to the Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino for the last day of the nine-day novena.
7:30 a.m. — Breakfast at Bo’s Coffee
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day—especially on a hectic day like Sinulog Sunday. Bo’s Coffee is a homegrown brand and they offer only the best coffee beans sourced locally; their big breakfast meals will fuel you throughout the morning.
9:30 a.m — Watch the street parade along Mango Avenue
As one of the highlights of the Sinulog Festival, you definitely can’t miss this! It’s best to pick a spot along Mango Avenue, where the contenders will showcase the dances they’ve been practicing for months.
11:30 a.m. — Eat barbecue at Larsian Food Park
Enjoy one of the city’s best barbecue spots at the heart of the parade’s route. A circle of small eateries where different vendors hawk their barbecues, it’s open for 24 hours.
1:30 p.m. — Get your shirt cut out at Island Souvenirs
A shirt form Island Souvenirs is a must-have for everyone who attends Sinulog. Customize your shirt however you’d like; you can have them cut into any style or embezzled with beads or gems.
3:00 p.m. — Have your face painted or get a henna tattoo done by one of the vendors along the parade route
Face paint and henna tattoos are iconic during the Sinulog; have yours done by one of the many vendors along the parade route—they have many designs to choose from, and you can also request a personalized design.
4:30 p.m. — Halo-halo and chill at D’Original Razon’s
By this time, the heat would have probably drained all your energy. Replenish it by ordering a halo-halo from Razon’s; it’s perfect to cool you off.
7:00 p.m. — Dinner at Zubuchon
Known for their organic lechon, Zubuchon lets you experience the deliciousness of the dish—but with a much healthier take.
8:00 p.m. — Fireworks at Ayala Center Cebu
Enjoy a grand fireworks show at one of the city’s best malls. Their fireworks never fail to amaze the Sinulog-goers every year.
10:00 p.m. — Party on at The Sentral until dawn!
If you’re still down to party, it’s worth going to one of the hottest bars in Cebu. With the theme of Neon Jungle, it’s sure to be a wild experience.
Originally published in the Zee Directory January 2018 edition.
]]>HISTORY OF SINULOG
As always, we always understand why and how it started.
“One Beat. One Dance. One Vision.” This theme has continuously defined the grandiose Sinulog celebration that attracts revelers every year. A festival that can be traced back to a rich history, Sinulog has always been identified with the Queen City—linking us with our pagan past and our Christian present.
At the time when our ancestors worshipped wooden idols and anitos, Sinulog was already a dance ritual honoring these elements. Upon the arrival in 1521 of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan who introduced Christianity to the country, he presented the Santo Niño image as a baptismal gift to Cebu’s ruler Rajah Humabon and his wife, Hara Amihan. Subsequently, the natives were converted to Christianity and started offering dances but this time in reverence to the Child Jesus.
The term Sinulog comes from the Cebuano word “sulog” which means “water current movement”. The rhythmically forward-backward dance steps of Santo Niño devotees during the Sinulog Grand Parade is said to resemble the movement of currents of water. Cebu’s first Sinulog parade took place in 1980, and the festival has now been institutionalized, making it an annual event.
Today, Sinulog is one of the grandest, most colorful and best-known festivals in the country. A cultural-religious celebration that lasts for nine days, it involves solemn activities widely participated in by Cebuanos whose deep faith in the Holy Child go beyond boundaries. The massive preparation and warm welcome put up by the locals for the upcoming Sinulog festival truly proves their strong devotion to the Santo Niño who has greatly influenced the lives of the Cebuano people. (By Ansylle Mae Bontuyan)
NOVENA MASSES SCHEDULE
Throught that, it is said that the image is stored in what is today the Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino—where thousands of faithfuls will come every year to worship and give praise the Holy Child. Up until now, Sinulog can’t be done without the novena schedule that succeeds prior to the Pista Señor, that is in honor of the Sr. Sto. Nino.
Here’s the schedule of some of the activities at the Basilica.
January 11, Thursday – Opening Salvo
4:00am – Walk With Jesus
5:30am – Holy Mass (Installation of Hermano Mayor and Hermana Mayores 2018)
And with some of the novena masses schedules done from January 11-18, 2018.
4:00am – Holy Mass (Cebuano)
5:30am – Holy Mass (Cebuano)
7:00am – Holy Mass (Cebuano)
8:30am – Holy Mass (English)
10:00am – Holy Mass (Cebuano)
11:30am – Holy Mass (English)
1:00pm – Holy Mass (English)
2:30pm – Holy Mass (Cebuano)
4:00pm – Holy Mass (Cebuano)
5:30pm – Holy Mass (English)
7:00pm – Holy Mass (English)
January 19, Friday
4:00am – Walk With Mary
7:00am – Traslacion (going to National Shrine of Saint Joseph Parish, Mandaue City)
January 20, Saturday (Visperas)
3:00am – Traslacion (from Mandaue to the National Shrine of Nuestra Señora de Regla Parish, Lapu-lapu City)
6:00am – Fluvial Procession
9:00am – Renactment of the First Mass, Wedding and Baptism
1:00pm – Solem Procession
6:00pm – Pontifical Mass
January 21, Sunday (Fiesta Señor Day)
4:00am – Mañanita Mass
6:00am – Pontifical Mass
followed by regular Sunday mass schedules
Source: Sinulog Foundation Website (for full details visit the website them here)
SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES
On to the festival side, there’s a lot we can expect to. From gigantes to dances, here’s the schedule to some of the highlights this Sinulog.
January 1 – 30 – Sinulog Street Fair
January 12, Friday – Sinulog 2018 Kick Off
January 13, Saturday – Sinulog sa Lalawigan
January 14, Sunday – Sinulog sa Barangay
January 15, Monday – Cultural Show at Plaza Independencia
Sinulog Idol Eliminations
January 18, Thursday – Sinulog Festival Queen 2018 Photoshoot
– Sinulog Festival Queen 2018 Parade of Costumes & Runway Competition at SM City Cebu
– Sky Night at Plaza Independencia
January 19, Friday – Festival Queen Coronation Night at Cebu City Sports Center
– Dance Crew Grand Showdown at Cebu City Sports Center
January 20, Saturday – Sinulog 2018 Grand Finals at Plaza Independencia
– Sinulog 2018 Fireworks Competition at SM City Cebu
January 21, Sunday – Sinulog Grand Parade
Source: Sinulog Foundation Website (for full details visit the website them here)
SINULOG WEEKEND WARPLAN
Now for the parties, we never get tired of having fun during these times. As it becomes a yearly habit for us. We give you the following schedule for the ultimate Sinulog parties that will take place in the city.
January 19, Friday
Lifedance
City di Mare, South Road Properties
January 20, Saturday
Plus 63 Music and Arts Festival
Cebu Business Park
Hyper Wonderland
Axis Entertainment Avenue
Paintensity
SM Seaside City Open Grounds
January 21, Sunday
Neon Jungle: Sinulog Music Festival
The Sentral Cebu, Norkis Cyberpark, Mandaue City
SINULOG GRAND PARADE CONTEST
Tickets are sold through Sinulog Foundation Inc. You can visit the website here. (https://sinulog.ph/shop/)
SINULOG ROUTE MAP
Plan ahead as we don’t know how much traffic we can get and we can contribute. Please see the following route through this website. sinulog.ph
]]>