FIVE months have passed since the 2021 Sinulog Idol was held but the prizes for the competition’s winners have yet to be released by the organizers.
Sam Costanilla, a longtime emcee of the yearly event, wrote on his Facebook page that Melody Hodgson, this year’s Sinulog Idol All Star grand champion, has yet to receive her cash prize of P50,000.
The Sinulog Idol All Star competition was held in January. It was one of the activities of this year’s Sinulog Festival that proceeded even though the festival was eventually cancelled by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).
Costanilla also said other winners, as well as the production crew, show managers, and the hosts, haven’t been paid their winnings and honoraria.
“A five-month wait–and beyond–isn’t worth waiting. Too much bureaucratic red tape is something that those in high City Hall positions should look into and stop,” Costanilla said.
The Cebu City Government alloted P22 million for this year’s Sinulog.
The sum was included in the City’s 2021 annual budget under City-sponsored activities.
In an interview with SunStar Cebu, Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama said all the people involved in Sinulog 2021 will have to meet and address the problem.
Rama, the lead convenor of this year’s Sinulog, refused to say what caused the delay in releasing the prizes of the participants.
He said though the budget came from the executive department, he decided to settle it first on their level as organizers of this year’s Sinulog.
Rama assured the affected individuals will receive their compensation.
“Just hold on for a while. Dili man sad mawa ang City Hall (City Hall won’t disappear). We will face that problem,” Rama told SunStar Cebu.
The Sinulog Idol All Stars 2021 was held on Jan. 10 at SM City Cebu and was aired online as it was off-limits to the public.
Those who participated in the Sinulog Idol 2021 were former contenders from the previous seasons of the competition.
Only few Sinulog 2021 activities pushed through this year due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. (JJL)