The announcement for the Sinulog Photo Contest Winners is something that is awaited by many, not only by the photographer participants themselves but also by the general public especially Cebuanos, this is because these winning photos captures the religious solemnity of the occasion as well as the special festivities and celebrations surrounding Cebu’s biggest religious event, Sinulog.
Sinulog is an annual celebration held in honor of the patron saint of Cebu, Senior Sto Nino or the Child Jesus every January. If you were here in Cebu on the days nearing the 3rd Sunday of January or have braved the streets during the Solemn Procession and the Sinulog 2012 Grand Parade then you’d probably saw these men and women wearing Canon red vests on the streets busy clicking their cameras and trying to capture those important moments and get that special shot. These photographers are part of the Sinulog Photo Contest.
It’s a great honor to have your photo entry chosen as among the best of the lot not only because there is prize money or compensation involve but I think it’s more of the honour and recognition of your work and yes the bragging right when you can already say “I won in the Sinulog Photo Contest!’. There are also probably some participants who joined the contest because it is their ‘Halad sa Sto Nino” or its their commitment and promise to the Baby Jesus to share their talent behind the lens and freeze beautiful and moving Sinulog moments to share with the rest of the world.
This Sinulog Photo Contest has also become an annual event. I don’t know its history or when it started or what are its rules and other details, but I am glad this contest exist.
Weeks before the Sinulog Grand Parade, the winning photos of Sinulog 2011 were displayed in the lower ground hall of SM City Cebu. It allowed me and all those who went to SM to gaze at the wonderful photographs. One photograph stood out for me, the winning entry for the Sinulog Fluvial / Solemn Procession Category – the two guys without shirts on a banca both raising their images of the Miraculous Child. You can see their faces, their reverence to the Sto Nino, their expression as they offer their prayers are simply priceless… and its captured for eternity. I must have stood at that photograph the longest. It moves me so much and got me interested to follow the winning photo entries for this year and onward to Sinulog 2013 and beyond.
In case you are wondering, the Sinulog Photo Contest have the following categories, with each category having 10 declared winners from First Prize to the Tenth Prize. I’ll be updating this list with the winners for this contest.
These are the Sinulog Categories for the Photo Contest:
CONTINGENT CATEGORY
FLUVIAL / SOLEMN PROCESSION
HIGANTE / PUPPETEERS / FLOATS
SIDELIGHTS / DECOR
DANCING FESTIVAL QUEEN
and THE BEST PICTURE in the Photo Contest
Sinulog Photo Contest 2012 Winners
click here to see more pics of >>>>> Sinulog Photo Winners!!!
I hope I can also show or upload here the winning photos or images. I am thinking of going to SM by the 28th as that’s the start of the display in SM of the winning Sinulog photos, the images will be available for public viewing. I don’t know if it’s also the reveal time or the winning photographers are already contacted prior to the SM display and they have a separate awarding ceremony. I wonder if they will really show the winning 2012 photos and not continue displaying the 2011 photos at the lower ground floor of SM? Hmmm. I will know by the 28th and will update this post.
Anyhow I am hoping and wishing that it’s going to be the Sinulog 2012 winning entries that will be displayed in SM Cebu from the 28th of January to February 10, 2012. If it is the 2012 winners, then I hope to take pictures of the winning images even for just the First, Second and Third Prizes. I wonder if the organizer will allow the displayed photos to be photographed? I hope so, so all those who wants to see the winning photos for the Sinulog yet can’t make it to SM or are simply far from Cebu can see the winning pics too. Lots of ‘hoping’ in this post hehehhe.
I feel that the winning Sinulog photos should be shared with everybody especially those far away from Cebu. What do you think? The Sto Nino would probably like it more if thousands of people can view the winning entries and be inspired by these images.
Anyhow, that’s my plan, wish me luck that I’ll (and all those who are interested) be allowed. I mean c’mon bakit ipagkaka-it ninuman ma-piktyuran ang winning entries so it can be shared to more people, right? Especially in the light that these photos are those of Sinulog moments. And Sinulog is an event of the people, by the people and for the people who revers the Sto Nino and whose faith lies with Him. Sige pa argue ka pa hehhehe. I am psyching myself to get those shots of the winning entries so I can share them here hehehh. *crossing my fingers and praying.
If it’s really not allowed can someone give me a heads-up so I can have Plan B. Nahhh I’m kidding hehheheh. I’m excited to see the winning images, real soon now! and hopefully be able to share it in Penfires! 
I will update here if and when there is a public viewing at SM or anywhere else for the Winning Sinulog 2012 Photos.
To see my own (amateurish but I’m proud) shots of the Sinulog Festivities , please check these post:
SM Sinulog Pyrofest Winners and Failed Firework Photos
Sinulog 2012 Experiences, Pictures and Stories
UPDATE JANUARY 28, 2012 – Please go to this post to see the
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