SINULOG DE

KABANKALAN
Historical Significance
Sinulog Festival is the mark
of thanksgiving for the
Senior Santo Niňo for its
saving grace and for the
good harvest. It is the
reminder that
Kabankalanons should be
thankful for the guidance of
the Senior Santo Niňo that
saves us to this day. It also
the symbol of embracing the
Historical Significance
The Sinulog festival also preserves
the culture, with the thinning Negrito
population, the war dance is now losing
its hold among the aborigines, the
Sinulog keeps it zany, lively, highly
entertaing and pageantry alive. Also, the
Sinulog Festival provides opportunity
not only culturally but also in commerce
and tourism. Sinulog also gives
opportunity to the Barangay’s to be
competent. It gives projects that will
help in the betterment of every
Historical Background
The feast day of the Holy Child, also
known as Santo Niňo, is every third
Sunday of January. The devotion of
Santo Niňo is the oldest and a popular
one in the Philippines. In honor of child
Jesus it has become a month long
celebration in the country. If Cebu has
Sinulog and Aklan has Ati-atihan the
province of Negros Occidental has a
Sinulog sa Kabankalan.The Sinulog is
Kabankalan version of Ati-atihan which
is a tribal war dance of our ancestors.
The festival is first stage in 1976 it is
the Negrense devotees’ thanksgiving to
God for the abundant blessings received
through the years and years to come. It
rd
Sinulog Festival is an act of
thanksgiving. It is both
cultural and religious in
nature. Tradition has it that
during the early days when
Christian Filipinos were being
attacked by the Moros pirates
in the river bank of Ilog, the
Santo Niňo intervened and
saved the day for the
Christians, which became the
basis of original dance Moro-
Kabankalan is geographically under the
town of Ilog. It is also based on the battle
between the Karulanos (the natives
living in the Carol-an) headed by their
chieftain Manyabog and the Spanish
soldiers under the command of Emilio
Saravia. It is also incorporated from the
local Ati-atihan celebration in
Kabankalan from where the Sacadas or
sugar cane workers from Iloilo landed in
Negros during the 70s and introduced
the festival of thanksgiving for harvest
that enrich the todays version of Sinulog
Festival. The Sacadas used to roam
around dancing and merry making every
The Sinulog is an effort to uphold
the traditions and venerate the
Patron Saint who saved our
ancestors and their many conflicts
with the enemies. In another
sense it is also recognises the
value of seasonal labourers who
keep our sugar industry going.
For only this celebration that
labourers and employers cease to
be distinctly apart and become
one in common appeal for the
blessings of Santo Niňo.
Learning Experiences
As we conduct an interview we
learned sides of Sinulog Festival we
never knew. Mostly during the festival
we would just say “ lets go, its Sinulog,
lets roam around and play” yet after the
interview we grasp the deeper meaning
of why the Sinulog was celebrated. It is
also amazing to the different side of the
story. We learned that the people has
different point of view when it comes to
Sinulog, yet it is the same idea that
Santo Niňo was honoured in this
tradition. We learned when the Sinulog
started and its history. What the
Festival represent and its significance in
TRANSCRIPTION:
First Interview
Interviewer: Good Afternoon. Hmmmmn hahaha. Ng...
Para sa imo ano ang sinulog festival?
Interviewee 1: ano na sa gani sir.
Interviewee 2: sinulog festival eh... Ang sinulog festival
damo na sa mong may tatlo ka konsepto...pero mag
siling ka sinulog...ah... Sang una nga panahon ang ila
pagpati nga ang mga ano sa babaw sang Carol- an
ginapadausdos nila sa saulog sang tubig ...sa river amo
na ginatawag nila sinulog kay may ara na sila gani
subong nga plubial bala.. Plubial parade sa ilog daw gin
ano nalang nila ang sinulog ahh...may ara nga kung
sinulog sa Cebu lain man to ila concepto sa Kabankalan
man lain man...pero sa choreoghaper may ginabasehan
kami ya. Sang una pwede kami kahimo concept nga ang
mga aklanon nga nag kadto di sa negrosanon sang una
mga sakada kag ng tribu man ya ano ang Carol-an nga
storya sang Kabankalan.
Interviewer: Then sang san o nag sugod ang
sinulog Festival?
Interviewee 2: Sa subong ang ainulog
nagstart sa sang 19..19..ano na sya 43 years
na subong
Interviewee 1: 43 years na sa ano ya
Interviewer: mga 1970
Interviewee 2: nineteennine...ahh..1975
nagstart ang sinulog festival.
Interviewer: ng.. Para sa inyo ano ang
benefits sang Sinulog festival?
Interviewee 2: Ti ikaw naman sabat ang
benwfits sang Sinulog Festival.
Interviewer: anong nahimo sang Sinulog
Festival?
Interviewee 1: Nang... Amo kung, for example
mag champion ang isa ka baranggay may
price sila nga ginahatag, para sa kwan indi
man sa dagko paryos sina sang gym
ginhatag sang baranggay... Gin hatag sa
baranggay Daan Banua.
Interviewer: hmmmn.... Kag ang last, para sa
inyo ano ang pinakanami na highlights sang
sinulog?
Interviewee 2: Highlights, kay ang highlights
daw dira nada mo nagid mabatyagan ang
fiesta sang Senior Santo Niño kag dira mo
mabatyagan kung ano kasadya anag fiesta
sang Kabankalan.
Interviewer: Thank you Gid.
Second Interview
Interviewer: Please introduce yourself.
Interviewee: I am Bernadette Ayala the
information officer of the city of Kabankalan
in the... disignate City tourism office or city
tourism division ...it is the division of city
mayor office.
Interviewer: What is sinulog de kabankalan
Interviewee: So Sinulog de kabankalan
somewhat similar to that amm celebration in
Cebu and also the ati-ati . Ati-atihan in
Kalibo, Aklan... So its a celbration no as
thanksgiving to child Jesus so its aam..
celebrating the feast of senior St. Nino .. a
celebration its a religious celebration
Interviewer: What is the origin of Sinulog de Kabankalan ?
Interviewee: Actually sinulog de Kabankalan it was
celebrated before... it was simply celebrated with the
parade or a procession or what i mean a sad-sad simply a
simple celebration then after that we have the highlight
thr trival competion .... so before the tribal competetion in
the early morning no.. we have the flovial procession. It is
along the ilo Kinabangan River and the amm we duck
there at Lugway. Where are in Brgy.8 and the aaam ....
we have the caravan going here in the plaza for the
celebration of the Holy Mass. Its a thanksgiving mass.. so
its in the afternoon the trival competition .. so before aam
people from amm ilo-ilo or Antique amm they are hired as
a sugarcan worker they're called "sakadas" amm there are
the one who brought the festival here in Kabankalan
Throgh dances carry along with themthe image of senior
St.Nino as they used to practice it in thier own hometown
Interviewer: What is the Historical Significance of
Sinulog Festival?
Interviewee: So its all about sugat..so without
sugarcane field in our area i dont think so we are
celebrating the Sinulog because as what i told a wjile
ago that ... that the sakadas were the one aa.. who
brought that festival here in our place so a.. during
3rd sunday of the month no.. they used to room
around the city streets no... anoo that the town
street... nd pato sya syudad and they brought them
the image of Senior St. Nino.. kag kis.a may dala pa
sila sang halo or chicken they produce no..and they
keep on moving around in the city dancing, raising
for its the feast day of Senior St. Nino.
Interviewer: What is the main message why we
celebrate it?
Interviewee: Oh yess...we celebrate Senior
St.Nino .. its because of our....aaa aaam our faith
because of our religion..so its more on the
religious aspect that we do the celebration.

Interviewer: What is the best part of Sinulog de

Kabankalan?
Interviewee: So aamm for the best part is of this
celebration or ang pinaka is the highlight
ofcourse no the feast day itself that it would be
the january 20 that's celebrated every 3rd
Sundat of the month but before the celebration
as i said we are having 9 days novena masses
and before to start with that novena mass we
have a processions of different images as of
Interviewer: What make it a little different in Sinulog
in Cebu?Interviewee: Ammm... what makes it little
different ...hmmmm so in Cebu thier so many ano....(
anong mi ara sa cebu kay man ko ka experience. Anong
diperensya sang Cebu ...... may gabuling man sa ilaaa ?
)....aaah ok in Cebu they dont have marry making
no.unlike here in Kabankalan we have Mardigrass then
a before ang aton Sinulog ya gabahag ..which in people
in Cebu no they dont practice that no... they usually
dancer are wearing baeutiful the best gown they havr
as they move around in the city streeys.. amo.na ila ya
pagpakita. Even bishop Buzon that time naschock siya
he was culture shocked kay nakita ya nga ang
pagperformed bala sa plasa... the dancer wearing sang
naga kit-anon bala ang mga panit nila so ka indicent
para sa iya no sonaaah he attended the meeting and we
invited him to attend the meeting atleast na refined kag
sya kag indi na mayu tanto as before kay pag-abot di ya
Sa Kalibo Aklan I think indi ko man do amo-amo man di so
may suit...ginapalhitan sa guya same... sa cebu may
palhitanay man? ... ( waala?).... wala palhit-palhit sa amo na
ang gikadto sang mga taho sa Kabankalan kay kasadya diya
ginapalhitan ka diya sang mga oling we call it that the black
... only few are...joining in opening salvo the sad-sad but now
as you say it from other towns cities who are coming here to
join the street parade....and then during that atreet parade
they keep on yelling noh, shouting no Viva Senior St. Nino
with the all intentions... for good health ... for ano pa gid ....
amm ano pa gd be ang kga intentions samg kga estudyante?
...... sa balo ya ?.... makapamana sila...liwat sa mga dalaga
makanobyo sang nami .... sa nanay nga makatapos ang iya
bata .... gasinggit gid na ya noo para sa amon kabataan
makatapos sila sa pag.eskwela Viva Senior St. Nino ...sa
amon nga tigulang nga masakiton...Viva Senior St. Nino ... so
ammm ang pagsinggit no .... as we ...yell kita no we are
asking, we are pleading no... fapangayu kita kay Senior St.
Nino for good health aaa ano pa gd ...
Happiness ... sa inyoo ano inyu intentions for that.... even
processions even the flovial processions we have a ... gina
identify gd na namon ang isa namon nga boat decorated
with the St.Nino within it ....gina...ga may ara gd na ya may
gapray rosary no... so para na sa pang-pang sang suba nd
ma erode...nd gid kami di mabahaan during typhoon no.. k
sang una we had experience the flashflood no nga damu di
napatay sa Kabankalan ...so after that no..ginapamatian
man kamo ni Senior St. Nino ... gapamati gd na siya sa
amon lag ara gd siya .... their's so many series of that
no...kag samtang gaflovial kami from Talubangin k
ginapulawan na to siya sang saturday ginadala na di siya
...gacross kami sa river and then ang prayer ara gid gyapon
.... so samtang ang maga tahu sa riverbank they keep on
shoutomg Viva Senior St. Nino...dasun even people along
the riverbank ga.install sa mga .... sa mga altars.noh kag
ara gid ang St.Nino sa altar kag ginasindihan ... sigurado
god na ya nga gapray sila no ... nga nd mag overflow ang
river during typhoon or during flood.
Interviewer 1: so Bali mga pila ka na nga yers ga
celebrate Sinulog ma'am?
Interviewee: ang diri, daw ika ano subong 43rd naka
ano na kami, kumbaga nakaruby na kami, ang ruby
pila gani ka years? ....40 years, so kun akon gani ya
lantawon ina ya sang na organize siya will before
hand more than 50 years. Bata pa kami ya amo na
na.gadalagan naka kami, gadalagan kami sa tinda ki
ara na ang ati...dasun ginalagas kami sang ati,...pro
waay man kami na ginalagas pro we feel it as it
ginalagas kami nila ..so aammm. Ang the good thing
is gadala sila sang st.Nino which a celebration
Interviewer: may question pa kami maam. Sa 43 years
nga celebration ano ang na observe mo mam, ano ang
kinalain sang una or subong or anu ang
improvement?
Interviewee: sang una?
Interviewer: sang una nga celebration compare
subong
Interviewee: sang bata pako ya ang panan awan
ko ya nahadlok kami sa mga ati.. so.. daw wala
pani siya ya significance gapamuling lang pero
nag dako nakami, nakita namon ang
sitwasyon… ang pag celebrate namon indi gid
ya paryos subong no?.. sang una ya may mga
upod joining the sadsad, during the opening
salvo very few lang ang ga join… galakat pana
kami sa prosesyon amo amo (praising action)…
so can keep on dancing and moving around
the… the city street no?... gina lip-ot lang
namon maagi ya ho. Ang gina agyan bala
perme sang baha, ang dalom nga baha nga gina
agyan diri gid kami naga ampo kami kay santo
nino nga ispare lang kami sa calamities, sa
mga baha. Ti kay daw amu mana nga kung
mag baha gid ya, baha gid ya.
Taga li-og gid na ang baha ang iban gani galapaw
pana sa balay ang baha. So subong, so far no?
as we celebrate the festival gina pamati-an gid
ta no kag hmmm.. sa subong guro kamo
gakadto di ay?, observe nd lang kamo
maglantaw ya, you have to participate kay wala
mana gina saway mag bayle bayle kada but you
have to bring with you the senior santo nino.
Sang last year ari kamo di?
Interviewer: huo taga diri kami maam.
Interviewee: taga diri kamo? Ano inyo feeling ya
nga nakit an na ninyo?
Interviewer: (laughs)
Interviewee: sa mga businessman ya, kita nyo na
ang sa mga baligyaan no?, may mga baligyaan
Interviewer: Mga last time pagid nga sinulog maam.
Ano ang Kabankalan mismo nag celebrate…, kagang
subong nga Kabankalan?
Interviewee: (laughs) ang subong nga Kabankalan?
Interviewer: I mean sa year bala maam. Example sang
2000 then subong nga 2018, ano ang kinalain or…
Interviewee: so it depends on the organizer no?... pero
ini ya nga religious aspect amu gid ni siya ya no…
we have the first day, We have the opening salvo, we
had the sadsad, and then uhmmm… Saturday we
have that translasyon, the solemn…ning… transfer
of the image of senior santo nino from the cathedral
going to ahhh… barangay talubangi no?... sa
Hacienda palma chapel nada pulawan nada siya kay
labanan nada nga gaapulaw kabataan kag uhmm…
usually pagpasulod nada namon lain lain nga images
ni senior santo nino. We really appreciate people
their nga ga preparar sina and the whole night isa
gid nay a in every movement that we make we
Then in the four in the morning we have to get the santo
nino and have the seremonya, then again to join the
prosesyon passing the bridge dayon sa pyak nga river bank
didto kami na ma start sang amon nga viray no? the
pluvial parade. so as of today, sng una its more on dyutay
lang or gamay lang ga join gin pakamaayo namon this nga
five years nga guro may ara na nga gin invite namon nga
barangay… and for the past four years nga may pluvial
possession, competition, gina tingwaan ina nga every year
ya ga improve nga ga improve man siya and the small
boats from camugao rivers “manug balas” mga amu na sila
ang gina organize na namon sila… so since small boats
indi sila maka penetrate ang river, all we have to do is to
let them wait. They just stay there, ga welcome sila ya. Ga
hinulat nada sila ni mayor nga perme ara nada sila
gahinulat sa lugway, kis-a gani may palupok pana sila
fireworks amu na aga gina imbitar ang pyak dab ala ma
itsa kay delikado nasablay sa mga baruto. Ti last year ang
nag compete nga mga baruto subra guro sa 70 ay. Panata
na sang iban ya nga ma join gid na da sila ya. Lastb year
nagkadto gid na di ang coastguard saamon, waay kami na
Interviewee: taga Kabankalan kamo tanan?
Interviewer: yes maam.
Interviewee: so anu kamu education?
Interviewer: accounting
Interviewee: accountancy? Ti nga amu ni topic
nyu haw
Interviewer: general maam
Interviewee: ang mga balay di saamon ya, the
people here are praparig kag amon di ya
fiesta sa banwa daan wala gina celebrate sa
august. Wala kami naga celebrate sa third
Sunday of the month sa…
Interviewer: thank you gid maam sa pag
accommodate
Interviewee: so thank you man.
MEMBERS

Diego, Neka Myriel A.

Gatoc, Erna B.
Mamigo, Jade L.
Monreal, Vanessa L.
Torrendon, Regine
Mae A.