Cebu Provincial Governor Pamela Baricuatro will dance with Danao City in Sinulog 2026.
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival confirmed on Monday, December 1, that Danao City will join Sinulog 2026 not as an official contingent but as guest performers supporting Baricuatro, who will dance alongside them.
The announcement surprised many, coming after Danao City Mayor Ramon “Nito” Durano III previously said his city would skip Sinulog to focus on recovery efforts for barangays affected by Typhoon Tino.
Archival said preparations for Sinulog 2026 are progressing smoothly, with 37 contingents already committed as of December 1.
“Naa natay klaro nga 37 contingents na mo join as of December 1, 2025,” the mayor said.
He confirmed the city will provide subsidies to participating groups to help cover production costs, especially for contingents coming from outside Cebu City.
While major prizes will remain the same as in Sinulog 2025, including P3 million for first place in the top categories, City Hall is cutting costs elsewhere to keep the celebration financially responsible.
Councilor Dave Tumulak, a member of the Sinulog Foundation Inc. (SFI) executive committee, said the overall budget was reduced to P78 million from P100 million to redirect funds to calamity victims.
“Duna tay gi-trim down… one is the prizes of the 6th to 10th placers, and naay uban nag-cut cost kay nowadays nag-suffer ta ug calamities, ang angay ihatag sa mga nabiktima,” Tumulak said.
He assured the event will still run smoothly:
“Enough ra ni, dili ra ma-hamper.”
Although Cebu City will not sponsor parties, Archival said proposals for spread-out activities are already on the table, including concerts at Plaza Independencia, events at South Road Properties (SRP), activities along Escario Street, and possible entertainment setups at IT Park.
The final plans will be decided in upcoming coordination meetings.
Sinulog 2026 will carry the theme “United in Faith and Love” with the tagline “One Beat, One Dance, One Vision.”
Archival also reiterated ongoing plans for two devotee cities, one by Cebu City and one by the Capitol, but said SFI is now considering unifying the locations to streamline services.
“Sa devotee city, naa ta, but si Gov iya gi-emphasize nga naa sad ang mga taga-probinsya… It might be duhaon, but ang plano sa atong SFI, usahon nalang ang area para ma-usa paghatag sa unsay kinahanglanon nila,” the mayor explained.
Plaza Independencia remains the preferred unified site due to its accessibility for pilgrims. “Kay if didto man gud sa CCQC, layo na kaayo, need ta’g sakyanan,” Archival added.
The grand parade and ritual showdown will take place at the Cebu City Sports Center on January 18, 2026. (LLP)
