Every third of January, the entire Cebu celebrates the feast of the Sto. Niño, which they named the Sinulog Festival.

The Sinulog Festival, or Santo Nino Festival in Cebu, is an annual religious and cultural festival. In 2024, it attracted around three million visitors from all over the country and worldwide.

This allows travelers to tour Cebu and explore the province's many attractions. One reason for the millions in attendance is that devotees have attested that their prayers are answered when attending the grand Ritual of the Sto. Niño.  

But a secondary reason why so many people converge in the city is the influx of stars that come to celebrate the fiesta. I was blessed to witness part of the activities of the Sinulog 2024 as Pru Life UK brought me and the Clash Season 5 Champion, John Rex, to Cebu to host their sales kick-off. Aside from John Rex, GMA Regional TV and Synergy brought many Kapuso stars to grace the feast of the Sto. Niño in Cebu City.

Last Friday, the star of Love, Die, Repeat, Jennylyn Mercado, together with Gma’s Stolen Life star Gabby Concepcion and Voltes V actress Max Collins, delighted the Kapusong Cebuanos in The Terraces, Ayala Center Cebu.

The next day, GMA Sparkle Artists Myrtle Sarrosa, Kristoffer Martin, Royce Cabrera, and Teejay Marquez brought the house down with their Ayala Mall Central Bloc performances. The Cebuanos were mall-jumping as Ken Chan, Kazel Kinouchi, Kate Valdez, and Joaquin Domagoso packed SM City Cebu the day after.

But the height of stargazing comes during the Float Parade. Mr. Diy Float brought Team Kramer (Doug, Chesca, Kendra, Scarlet, and Gavin), while Wheeltek brought Kapuso Stars Jak Roberto and Paul Salas. Palawan Pawnshop had father and son Benjie and Kobe Paras. Pocari Sweat flew in Japanese star Fumiya, a former Pinoy Big Brother housemate, and Winzit had Derek Ramsey.

Do the floats now have a portable toilet? Cebu Police estimated three million attended the Sinulog 2024 Grand Parade and Ritual Showdown held at the South Road Properties last Jan. 21.

I remember several times being in a float for the grand parade, and we had no portable toilets back then, so I had to hold my pee for a good six hours. The miracle of Sto. Niño told me I did not get sick holding my pee, maybe because I was holding my small Señor Sto. Niño the whole time.

Sto. Niño also answered my prayers that time. My breakout star for this Sinulog 2024 is Cebuana ‘90s icon Maybelle Padillo. She is now making a comeback and did the grand finale performance singing her original song “Good Vibes”  with the Knapsack dancers.