Manukan celebrates Sinulog Festival with pomp

January 23, 2011 -- Manukan held its smaller version of Sinulog Festival to celebrate and honor the Sto. Niño. The intramunicipal contest started at around one o'clock in the afternoon featuring contingents from six clusters of baranggays: Tribu ni Limbot, Tribu ni Tonio,   Tribu ni Jose, Tribu ni Koro-koro Marajao Katadjao, Pundok sa Immaculada Concepcion, and Tribu ni Tino. Other groups  who also performed, but not as part of the competition,  were the members of the Local Government Unit, the selected teachers of District II, the members of Our Mother of Perpetual Help Organization and the staffs of Manukan Medicare and Community Hospital.

The street dancing started off grandiosely with eardrum-busting music and colorful scenes. Participants garbed in bright-colored costumes dance to the rhythm of drums and trumpets. Thousands of spectators lined up the streets all wanting to witness the street dancing.

The municipal administrative ground, where the showdown competition was usually held, was filled with a crushing sea of people all cheering for their pet contingent. The guest participants were the first to perform, giving an eye candy entertainment to the spirited audience as they pay tribute to the honored saint. The rest followed suit in the contest proper, impressing the audience with their all-out and distinct dances.

OMPH                                         MMCH

Tribu ni Limbot

Tribu ni Koro-koro Marajao Katadjao

Tribu ni Tonio

Tribu ni Jose

Pundok sa Immaculada Concepcion

Tribu ni Tino

The very proud Municipal Mayor Eugene Caballero gave a short yet very inspiring message to his constituents. Boasting of the thriving tourism industry of Manukan, he talked about the Belgian tourist who claimed that the municipality has the most beautiful caves of all he had explored in the country.

Adding to the great news, Zamboanga del Norte  2nd District Board Member Atty. Allan Ranillo elatedly announced that the PCSO has a brand new unit of ambulance reserved for the municipality of Manukan. And he was happy to note that the vehicle will soon be acquired without any counterpart fund from the local government. The board member was not only invited to grace the event, he also happened to be one of the judges in the Sinulog Contest.

SNAPSHOTS:

Dancers from Tribu ni Tino won this year's Sinulog Festival, besting 5 other contingents. As the grand champion they received a cash prize of Php 20, 000.00 and  bagged a number of trophies for being the most awarded group.  The other winners were the Pundok sa Immaculada Concepcion, second place, receiving Php 15, 000.00; and the Tribu ni Jose, third place, bringing home Php 10, 000.00. The non-winning contingents received a consolation prize of Php 1, 000.00 each.

The celebration did not end up with the blaring music and festive dancing. There was a raffle draw and the prizes given away were all great. But the ten-minute pyrotechnics was the grandest and the highlight of the event, which truly made the crowd exultantly roaring in amazement.

The fireworks made the night skyscape spectacular.