Sinulog Grand Parade - Part 2

The Sinulog Grand Parade yesterday still pushed through even if it was hot and humid, and then became rainy, windy and cold around late afternoon. Me and my friends decided not to venture into the streets around noon since it was extremely humid and we all seemed to agree that this year, there was definitely more people who attended.

Instead we decided to go to SM, but to our surprise, it was almost as crowded. Every Comfort Room had a queue, the food courts and fast food restaurants were also full. Even the gaming and Karaoke area was crowded. So we just went walking more, going to the Art Center, Trade Hall and Northwing. Then in the North Wing we stopped for a while to view the 79^th Annual Photography Awards & Exhibit presented by the Camera Club of the Philippines. At the Trade Hall, I decided to buy me a Bamboo “Salakot” Hat to shield me against the sun or rain for we were planning to watch the Parade around late afternoon.

What is a Salakot?

The salakot is a traditional wide-brimmed hat in the Philippines. It is usually made of either rattan or reeds. An ancient tradition recounts that the first Malay settlers in the archipelago purchased the valleys and plains of the Island of Panay in the Philippines from the native Aetas in exchange of a golden salakot and a very long pearl necklace called manangyad, which touched the ground when worn by the wife of the Aeta chieftain.

The salakot is a common symbol for Filipino identity. It is often portrayed as the hat worn by Juan de la Cruz, the symbol of the collective Filipino psyche equivalent to Uncle Sam of the Americans. The custom of embellishing this Filipino headgear developed as a practice during the Spanish Regime. Though normally worn by farmers, the wealthy and landed Christian Filipinos and mestizos (especially the members of the Principalía), would also use the salakot, emboss this hat with silver, and sometimes hang silver coins and pendants around the headgear's brim. Many depictions of gobernadorcillos and cabezas de barangay would portray these public functionaries during the colonial period wearing ornate salakots. It was not uncommon for this class to wear salakot made of more precious materials (like tortoise shell and precious metals).

I was proud to have bought and worn it since I was the only one who was wearing it on the streets. (Definition from wikipedia)

After that we went back into the North Wing and watched the “Renaissance” band play old songs, we also rested our legs for a while. Then we went off to Ayala and walked towards Mango Avenue to watch the parade for a while. Even when it was getting dark, it was still insanely crowded. OK, although I was not expecting it, but I was put into an awkward position while taking some Pictures. When I looked to the sides people were pushing trying to get through and I then noticed that there these sexy sweaty girls beside me. And yes, I was tempted being in such close proximity with the opposite sex (I am a guy after all but it was fun while it lasted), and since everyone was quite sweaty, you could say there was an exchange of bodily fluids ha ha ha ha!

But I came to my senses and resisted it or maybe it was my stomach shouting since we did not have any snacks and my feet was already shaking. We looked for a small stall to eat some barbeque and puso (Hanging Rice). And after that , we waited for the sponsored fireworks display at the Cebu Business Park Area near Ayala. After waiting for three long hours in the rain it finally started.

We decided either party all night or go drinking all night and celebrate, but due to our aching bodies, feet and neck and by the grace of God, we decided to just go home and rest since we still had lots of things to get done for school. When I woke up this morning, I felt the effects of yesterday pain here and there but it was all worth it, I had lots of fun!