CEBU CITY, Philippines – The heavy downpour did not deter the more than 3.5 million crowd from watching the grand Sinulog Mardi Gras 2011 up to the last presentation Sunday night as out-of-town contingents went home with the top prizes.
It was a back-to-back victory for the Tribu Himag-ulaw of Placer in Masbate, and Tribu Sinanduloy of Tangub City, which ruled the Free Interpretation (FI) and Sinulog-based (SB) categories in the Sinulog competition that was attended by millions of people who crowd the streets despite the bad weather.
In the FI category, Tribu Buyoganon of Albuyog, Leyte won second place while children from the Mabolo Elementary School here won third place.
The returning contingent from the northern municipality of Daanbantayan won the fourth spot in the FI category in this year’s grand parade while the fifth spot went to the Talamban Elementary School contingent.
Mabolo and Talamban contingents also won the third and first place, respectively, in the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Dakbayan held on January 9.
The consistent winner, Tribu Basakanon of Basak San Nicolas, failed to take the top five spot in this year’s Sinulog.
Other winners in the Sinulog-based category were Abellana National High School – 2nd place, City of Carcar – 3rd place, Bayawan City – 4th place, and City Central School – 5th place.
A total of 143 contingents – dance contingents, higantes, floats and pupetteers – competed in Sunday’s Sinulog grand parade.
The parade ended with an elaborate 30-minute production number that centered on the Chinese influences of Cebu.
Amid the backdrop of a pagoda, the finale number was impressive with dragon dances, acrobats, and Kung Fu trainees, among others.
Cebu Rep. Rachel “Cutie” del Mar, in a fuchsia satin robe with long kimono sleeves, appeared on stage as a Chinese empress.
Both the police and events organizers said last Sunday's Grand Mardi Gras was considered as one of the most successful, peaceful, and orderly celebrations in the festival's history.
Cebu City Police Office Director Melvin Ramon Buenafe said this year’s crowd estimate is bigger compared to the three million last year.
Buenafe said at most 3.5 million people came to watch the Sinulog this year despite the rains.
The figure includes those who watched inside the Cebu City Sports Center and those who were on the parade route.
According to Buenafe, the five additional contingents this year added to the number of the crowd by as much as 200 per contingent.
Despite the huge volume of people watching the Sinulog, Buenafe said the celebration went peacefully except for a few incidents of snatching and pick pocketing along the parade route.
A foreigner was also injured after she slipped at the grand stand. (report from Mars Mosqueda Jr., Manila Bulletin)
Monday, January 17, 2011
Mumbai tower to be torn down after graft scandal
MUMBAI - A new 31-storey tower block in Mumbai is to be demolished after a graft scandal in which plans for a small building to house war widows ended up as luxury flats for politicians and army officers.
The environment ministry ordered the "Adarsh" tower, in an exclusive area of the city, to be pulled down within three months as it violated coastal protection laws.
Reports that politicians and officers had been able to buy the apartments at bargain prices had sparked outrage and forced the chief minister of Maharashtra state, Ashok Chavan, to resign in November.
"I have decided on removal of the entire structure as it is unauthorised and has obtained no clearance whatsoever under the Coastal Regulation zone notifications," Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said in a statement Sunday.
The scandal is the latest to tarnish the reputation of the national government.
A telecoms scandal involving India's ruling Congress Party led to weeks of parliamentary deadlock late last year. (report from Agence France Presse / Inquirer.net)
The environment ministry ordered the "Adarsh" tower, in an exclusive area of the city, to be pulled down within three months as it violated coastal protection laws.
Reports that politicians and officers had been able to buy the apartments at bargain prices had sparked outrage and forced the chief minister of Maharashtra state, Ashok Chavan, to resign in November.
"I have decided on removal of the entire structure as it is unauthorised and has obtained no clearance whatsoever under the Coastal Regulation zone notifications," Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said in a statement Sunday.
The scandal is the latest to tarnish the reputation of the national government.
A telecoms scandal involving India's ruling Congress Party led to weeks of parliamentary deadlock late last year. (report from Agence France Presse / Inquirer.net)
Task group formed to probe Lozano's son's death
MANILA, Philippines – Calling it an "extraordinary" case, the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday announced the creation of a special investigating task group that will look into the abduction and subsequent murder of the son of law Oliver Lozano.
PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr. said the task group will be headed by Chief Superintendent Benito Estipona, the deputy chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and will be composed of members of the PNP's highway patrol group, anti-kidnapping unit, and other support units.
The charred body of Lozano's son, Emerson, was found by police last January 14 along the FVR Megadike in Porac, Pampanga. Police confirmed only on Sunday that it was indeed Lozano's missing son through verification of his dental records.
Emerson was reported missing by his wife last January 12. Later, Emerson's driver, Ernane Sensil, was found also burnt in La Paz, Tarlac.
Cruz said that so far, police are eyeing several suspects in the incident but refused to give further details so as not to compromise the investigation.
"So far, we can't say for certainty if it is a case of kidnapping or carnapping," Cruz added. (report from Abigail Kwok, Inquirer.net)
PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr. said the task group will be headed by Chief Superintendent Benito Estipona, the deputy chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and will be composed of members of the PNP's highway patrol group, anti-kidnapping unit, and other support units.
The charred body of Lozano's son, Emerson, was found by police last January 14 along the FVR Megadike in Porac, Pampanga. Police confirmed only on Sunday that it was indeed Lozano's missing son through verification of his dental records.
Emerson was reported missing by his wife last January 12. Later, Emerson's driver, Ernane Sensil, was found also burnt in La Paz, Tarlac.
Cruz said that so far, police are eyeing several suspects in the incident but refused to give further details so as not to compromise the investigation.
"So far, we can't say for certainty if it is a case of kidnapping or carnapping," Cruz added. (report from Abigail Kwok, Inquirer.net)
Man found hanging in mental hospital
MANILA, Philippines—A man allegedly suffering from a mental disorder was found hanging from a nylon strap Monday morning at the National Center for Mental Health in Mandaluyong City, police said.
Police identified the fatality Daniel Aresgado, 28, a resident of Parañaque City.
Aresgado was said to have been recently diagnosed with "undifferentiated schizophrenia."
Senior Police Officer 4 Reyminigildo Suarez, chief investigator of Mandaluyong police, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the victim was first discovered by a nurse doing the rounds at 5:15 am.
Suarez said Aresgado was seen hanging from a nylon strap, which he unfastened from the bed and then tied to the upper grill of the window.
Aresgado was still breathing when found but hospital doctors failed to revive him. He was pronounced dead around 6 a.m.
A hospital official, who refused to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the victim had been experiencing hallucinations and delusions.
The hospital official said Aresgado was an outpatient of the center but had not shown any suicidal tendencies.
The victim was admitted to the hospital only on Sunday.
Police are still trying to determine whether the man committed suicide or there was foul play. (report from Nina Calleja, Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Police identified the fatality Daniel Aresgado, 28, a resident of Parañaque City.
Aresgado was said to have been recently diagnosed with "undifferentiated schizophrenia."
Senior Police Officer 4 Reyminigildo Suarez, chief investigator of Mandaluyong police, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the victim was first discovered by a nurse doing the rounds at 5:15 am.
Suarez said Aresgado was seen hanging from a nylon strap, which he unfastened from the bed and then tied to the upper grill of the window.
Aresgado was still breathing when found but hospital doctors failed to revive him. He was pronounced dead around 6 a.m.
A hospital official, who refused to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the victim had been experiencing hallucinations and delusions.
The hospital official said Aresgado was an outpatient of the center but had not shown any suicidal tendencies.
The victim was admitted to the hospital only on Sunday.
Police are still trying to determine whether the man committed suicide or there was foul play. (report from Nina Calleja, Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Charred body of Lozano's son found in Pampanga
PORAC, Pampanga – A charred body that was found last Friday near a megadike in Pampanga province was confirmed to be that of the son of Marcos lawyer Oliver Lozano, police said today.
The police said dentures from the body matched the dental records of Emerson Lozano, 44, as provided by the Quezon City Police District.
Lozano, a buy-and-sell trader of cars, and his driver Ernanie Sensil, 32, were abducted last Jan. 12 at a gas station along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, where they were supposed to meet a buyer. Both Lozano and Sensil failed to go home that night. (report from Ding Cervantes, Philstar.com)
The police said dentures from the body matched the dental records of Emerson Lozano, 44, as provided by the Quezon City Police District.
Lozano, a buy-and-sell trader of cars, and his driver Ernanie Sensil, 32, were abducted last Jan. 12 at a gas station along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, where they were supposed to meet a buyer. Both Lozano and Sensil failed to go home that night. (report from Ding Cervantes, Philstar.com)
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