I won’t forget my “initial immersion” in the Sinulog. Decades ago, after seeing the last movie screening in Vision Theater, we were astounded by a big crowd dancing and chanting “Pit Senyor,” carrying small images of the Holy Child.
It was interactive. No bands. No floats. No costume or props. Sonny and I were thrown into the crowd and we started chanting, following the basic steps of the dance. I was mesmerized.
As years passed, the Sinulog had more fixtures, bands, higantes, dancers in colorful ethnic costumes, converging in Abellana with thousands of spectators across the country and the globe. Spectators occupied reserved seats while many just stood and surrounded the stage area.
My devotion to the Sto. Niño started when years ago, I had a personal problem and sought the help of the Sto. Niño during one of the early novena masses. I felt so comforted and my problem was solved. Thereafter, I heard mass every day at 6 a.m. at the Sto. Niño Church. It was decades of interactive immersion and the Sto. Niño became my sanctuary and my inspiration.