Cebu lays welcome mat for SEAG bets in elaborate rites
By Randy Caluag


CEBU CITY --The Cebu City Sports Center is expected to be filled to the brim Friday as the Queen City of the South takes pride in welcoming the participants of the 23rd Southeast Asian Games with its own version of welcoming rites that is exquisitely Cebuano.

“It will be the mother of all opening ceremonies, at least in the Southern part of the country. Everything has been set for Cebu 's hosting of the Games, beginning with colorful festivities welcoming thedelegates,” said Cebu Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Cebusoc) chairman Jonathan Guardo.

Guardo said he expects an SRO (Standing Room Only) crowd with 20,000 tickets already sold for the three-hour festivities that will be highlighted by Sinulog performances and other traditional dances featuring the Cebuano culture, and P1 million fireworks show.

Ushering in the three-hour rites, starting at 4 p.m., is the parade of nations where various school dance troupes will accompany the delegates wearing their respective national costumes and dancing to the beat of the world-famous Sinulog. The first part will be highlighted by a musical number from a 100-member choral group with a live accompaniment by the Peace Philharmonic Philippines.

A pair of Filipino athletes from the six events to be held in Cebu —judo, karate, dancesport, sepak takraw, pencak silat and mountainbike—take the oval for the torch run leading the lighting of the Games' urn by Arnold Balais, a paralympic athlete who won the a swim gold in the 1st Asean Paralympics in Malaysia.

Capping the program is an exhibition of colorful traditional dances of Cebu province, including the Sinulog.

President Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo is expected to grace the event and declare the Games open while boxing icon Manny Pacquiao has been invited to give inspirational message.

Joining them are First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, Philippine Olympic Committee president and Philippine Seag Organizing Committee CEO Peping Cojuangco, Philippine Sports Commission chairman William “Butch” Ramirez, and the national sports association heads of the six sports events that will be held in Cebu.

Welcoming the VIPs and the delegates are Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia and the heads of the three cities that have pooled resources in the hosting job -- Cebu City Mayor Tommy Osmeña, Mandaue City Mayor Teddy Ouano and Danao City Mayor Ramonito Durano.

Practically all performers in the Sinulog-themed parade are students from volunteers schools including the Abellana National High School dance troupe that will accompany the athletes from Brunei, Cebu Normal University for Cambodia, University of Southern Philippines for Indonesia, Cebu Institute of Technology for Laos, University of Cebu for Malaysia, University of San Carlos for the Philippines, Cebu State College of Science & Technology for Myanmar, Southwestern University for Thailand, University of the Visayas for Timor Leste, University of San Jose-Recoletos for Singapore and Cebu Doctors' University for Vietnam.

Cebu will play host to six events with dance sports and karatedo kicking off hostilities on Sunday at the Waterfront Hotel Lahug and the Mandaue City Sports Center, respectively.

Other disciplines on tap are judo which will also be held at Mandaue on Dec. 1-4; sepak takraw at the University of San Carlos-Main gym on Nov.28-Dec.4; pencak silat at the Cebu Coliseum on Nov. 30-Dec. 4, and mountainbike in Danao City Nov. 28-29.