As a Cebuano and a former hotelier, Sinulog has always been more than just a festival to me. It is a living expression of pagtuo, identity, and community—values I grew up with and later upheld through my profession.
While much of the country settles back into routine after the New Year, Cebu continues to come alive with celebration. Christmas lights still glow well into January, and streets are draped with vibrant bandanas in honor of the Señor Santo Niño.
The city becomes a spiritual and cultural homecoming, welcoming millions of devotees, tourists, and balikbayans who come not only to witness Sinulog but to truly feel its rhythm, its devotion, and its unmistakable Cebuano soul.
Growing up in Cebu, I saw how Sinulog transformed the city’s heartbeat each year. Later, as a hotelier, I experienced that transformation from a different perspective—behind the front desk and within daily operations. Preparation began months in advance: anticipating full occupancy, training staff for peak demand, refining guest experiences, and embracing the responsibility of representing genuine Cebuano hospitality. Hotels of all types, from luxury properties to modest inns, were often fully booked weeks, even months, ahead of time. Sinulog season was undeniably one of the busiest and most fulfilling periods in the industry—not only because of increased revenue, but because of its deeper purpose. Hospitality during Sinulog went beyond service; it became an expression of faith, pride, and the warm welcome Cebuanos are known for.
Even now, as a former hotelier and someone who continues to empower Cebuano hoteliers in delivering the Filipino brand of service excellence through purpose-built hospitality technology, Sinulog remains deeply personal—a celebration I did not only grow up with, but one I helped support and share with the world through the quiet, behind-the-scenes work of hospitality.
Written by Maryvince Sorila, a hospitality systems specialist at Servo IT Solutions OPC. She previously worked as a Guest Services Officer at Quest Hotel Cebu, served as Duty Manager at Radisson, Missouri, USA, and was also a Guest Services Officer at Chateau by the Lake, Missouri, USA.
