Sinulog Festival, one of the country’s most prestigious cultural and religious festivities, is pushing through in 2021 if “things normalize”, Mayor Edgardo Labella here announced late Sunday night.

“I have the confidence of Vice Mayor Michael Rama to handle the Sinulog because for several years of successful celebrations, I have decided to give the full authority and management to him together with the Sinulog Foundation for the preparation of 2021 Sinulog festivities,” he said.

The city mayor is confident that the situation here will continue to get better after it turned into the “focal point” of the fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in June.

He said the 2021 Sinulog Festival is an important part of the quincentenary celebration of the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines next year.

In 2021, aside from the 500th year anniversary celebration for Christianity in the country, Cebu will also mark the 500th year of the arrival of the image of Sto. Niño de Cebu.

But while the city government is bent on pushing with the annual festival, Labella said innovations will have to be introduced as a means of adapting to the “new normal”.

Labella said he already asked Rama and the officials of the Sinulog Foundation Inc. (SFI) to come up with ways to ensure the safety of foreign and local spectators of the grand activity.

Sinulog Festival is held every third Sunday of January in honor of the Señor Sto. Niño. (PNA)