Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Chief Cecil Ezra Sandalo said that aside from incidents of pickpocketing, the celebration last Sunday was generally peaceful. Although Sandalo did not give an estimate of the crowd who witnessed the grand parade, Cebu City officials said it was close to one million.
Sinulog overall chairperson and Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama said that at the grandstand alone inside the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC), spectators swelled considering that the stadium could only seat 15,000 persons.
The Sinulog presentation, however, was briefly halted after nine dancers from Tribu Placernon of Surigao del Norte suffered burns after they lost their slippers while performing at the grandstand.
The incident had project director Ricky Ballesteros suggesting that contingents use sandals or at least put straps on the dancers' slippers.
An paramedic volunteer said the victims, who were rushed to Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC), suffered first to third-degree burns.
Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon said he wants to make Cebu "the mardi gras capital of Asia" after last Sunday's Sinulog festivities impressed him.
Gordon said the Sinulog succeeded in making Cebu a tourism destination, with thousands of foreigners, local tourists and balikbayans witnessing the annual parade.
The success of the event and the participation of 11 dancing contingents from other regions encouraged the secretary to hold in Cebu City the "Best of the Mardi Gras" festival next year, when Cebu also celebrates the 25th year of the Sinulog.
It will be part of the "Wow! Philippines" tourism campaign, the secretary said.
"Sinulog is a world-class event that should be advertised to the whole world. Like what the President said, I also believe that it is time to take it to a higher level. We will make Cebu the grand mardi gras capital of Asia," he said in his speech, shortly after the parade ended past 6 p.m.
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