Scaled-down religious activities will be held to celebrate the 45th Sinulog Festival in Kabankalan City.
The Sinulog Foundation Inc. had earlier cancelled the cultural crowd-drawing activities, the grand tribal parade and merrymaking, as well as the Sinulog Queen pageant.
Minimum health standards will be observed in the retained religious activities, it said.
Highlighting the celebration is the Thanksgiving Mass at the St. Francis Xavier Cathedral at 9 a.m. on Sunday.
A maximum of 300 devotees will be allowed in the Cathedral during the mass, organizers said, but around 500 seats will be set up outside to allow more people to join the celebration while observe health protocols at the same time.
The mass will be followed by a religious motorcade led by which will bless images of Señor Sto. Nino and their altars which will be held by the faithful on the roadsides.
At 4:30 p.m. tomorrow, a mass will be held at the St. Francis Cathedral prior to the 5:30 p.m. transfer of the Señor Sto. Nino image to the Sacred Heart Chapel in Barangay Talubangi, where a mass and vigil or scheduled at 6 p.m.
On Sunday, the ‘sugat’ of the mass will be held at 7 a.m. before the Thanksgiving Mass.
Afternoon novena masses started on Friday, Jan. 8 and will end tomorrow. – NND