Spirit of Senor Santo Nino Continues
BY ALEX TIGANI
Singleton’s Filipino community will continue its annual Senor Santo Nino gathering this Sunday.
Unfortunately, this year’s gathering will be much smaller due to the current covid climate.
“This year’s fiesta will be a smaller celebration because people who normally attend are still avoiding covid,” event organiser Frieda King explained.
“It will just be for those who want to come and give thanks to Santo Nino.”
The annual celebration continues to be one of the most sacred by Catholics in the Phillipines.
Often, hundreds of thousands will gather across Cebu City to sing the prayer song ‘Bato Balani Sa Gugma’ (Magnet Of Love) also known as ‘Gozos Ni Santo Nino’.
In 2021 the traditional fiesta mass, which was led by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, was celebrated for the first time without a physical crowd.
Mrs King, who has called Singleton since 1983, will be sure the small contingent at St Patrick’s Church will continue to sing the songs with gusto for Singleton’s 26th Fiesta.
“Because of the covid pandemic, we haven’t had many gatherings so this will be a good time to catch up and gather as one,” she concluded.