CEBU CITY — This year’s Sinulog Festival is the biggest in terms of the number of participating contingents.

With this, authorities are leaving no stone unturned to ensure an orderly and peaceful conduct of one of the country’s most anticipated cultural events.

CHURCH, police, and Cebu City officials conduct a six-kilometer walkthrough of the routes of the Sinulog solemn procession and Grand Parade. (Councilor Joel Garganera)

At least 7,000 uniformed personnel from the Police Regional Office-Central Visayas (PRO-7) will be deployed to secure the event on Sunday, Jan. 19.

Security preparations were discussed during a coordination meeting presided over by Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia and Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia on Monday, Jan. 13, at the  Cebu Provincial Capitol.

During the meeting, the PRO-7 said 32 360-degree security cameras will be installed on the 5.6-kilometer Sinulog Carousel for enhanced surveillance and monitoring.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement-Central Visayas will deploy K-9 teams.

Mayor Garcia has issued an executive order enforcing a liquor ban on the Sinulog route.

A total of 42 contingents have signed up for the Sinulog Street Dancing Competition and Grand Ritual Showdown at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC).

The Sinulog is returning to CCSC after it was held at the South Road Properties for the past two years.

This year’s number of contingents is the most in the history of the festival.

To achieve a better flow, Gov. Garcia suggested reducing the number of judging stations for ritual showdown in the street dancing.

The governor said that instead of seven, the judging stations must be reduced to three with two judges per station.

“If you have seven stations, they will stop seven times but if you combine two judges sitting together, then you will have three stations. We will reduce the ritual for street dancing from 14 minutes to six minutes. It will be a big help,” said Garcia.

Aside from contingents from Cebu City and the province of Cebu, out-of-town participants have also signed up.

The governor will continue her annual tradition of dancing in the Sinulog. For this year, she will be dancing with the Dagitab Festival of the City of Naga.