“In every parade, there are groups (tribu) in compet with each other. And in every group, there’s always that somebody who acts as a leader bearing the image of the Sto. Niño. I am always delighted every time I see them because they are always beautiful. Apart from possessing ethereal beauty, they are also very graceful in their sways, struts, and sashays. I even dreamed of becoming one of them but I didn’t know what they are called. But after years of watching them admiringly and doing some research, I now learned that they are called the Sinulog Princesses.
Not just a pretty face, the Sinulog Princess plays a vital role in the tribu.
She’s recognized to be the leader from whom the whole group relies upon.
She protects her tribu by not committing mistakes that may sabotage the group.
She has to be strong so she could stand up for her tribu when adversaries arise.
She must behave herself properly to be a good role model to all young females in her tribu.
She must portray how to pay tribute to Señor Sto. Niño with proper respect and reverence like an innocent child.
And just like any other princesses, she must also represent her kingdom with real grace, glamour, and elegance. So all Sinulog Princesses must present herself as fabulous as she could!”
– Excerpt from Sinulog Princesses (Jan. 21, 2013)
This year, I got the rarest opportunity to get up close and personal with three Sinulog Princesses! To start with, meet
Danna
Danna is a 14-year old high school student of Don Vicente Rama Memorial National High School, commonly known as Basak-Pardo High School. Like me, she is also a panaad to Senior Sto. Niño. According to her, “I have been dancing since I was 6 years old and I am very lucky to be Sinulog Princess in this very young age! And even if I won’t be Sinulog princess next year anymore, I won’t stop dancing my whole life through!”
Christy is a 16-year old first year college student of the University of San Carlos, taking up BS Psychology. She has been raised from a family of Sto. Niño devotees. “My mom was a Sinulog princess in her younger days and she was the one who trained me to become a princess too. It was as if, she had me betrothed to this destiny on the day that I was born.”
Bernadette is also a 16-year old first year college student of the University of San Jose Recoletos, taking up BS Civil Engineering. She always dreams of becoming a Sinulog princess so she joins every Sinulog dance compet since she entered high school. Now that she’s a princess, she is very thankful to Sto. Niño for making her dream come true! “I still can’t believe that I’m in this position. All my hard work had been paid off! But it is not the fame nor glamour that I’m after. This dance is for Sto. Niño and I do this to make him happy“, she quips.
From the quick convos I had with these three lovely Sinulog Princesses, I can say that being one is never an easy job. You have to be trained very well on how to act and dance, keep your skin healthy and your body fit to be picture perfect, and increase your vigor to endure one whole day of dancing in the streets. Plus, the image of the Sto. Niño is too heavy to be held for the entire day. Days and nights of rehearsals should be attended without absences so if you are a Sinulog Princess, you can never be a prima donna!
Indeed, behind the glitz, glamour, and fame is actually all hard work and pain! With this, I salute all Sinulog Princesses not just for pleasing our eyes but also for the faith they have in their hearts. Thank you so much, Danna, Christy, and Bernadette for sharing your beauty, talent, and story to me and for my blog readers! ‘Till we meet again! 🙂 So come and set your heart on fire for life again in Cebu!
Wanna visit Cebu to experience the exhilarating Sinulog Festival drum beats? Visit Sinulog Festival: How to Navigate the Philippines’ Grandest Mardi Gras for Sinulog Festival survival tips and recommendations.
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