Under Pam, no more Suroy-Suroy, Pasigarbo

Local

WITH the election of Pamela Baricuatro as governor of the province of Cebu, it seems like Suroy-Suroy Sugbo has taken its final trip, and the lights have dimmed on Pasigarbo sa Sugbo.

Baricuatro on Tuesday, May 20, announced a major shift in Cebu’s tourism direction by formally ending the two hallmark programs of outgoing Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.

“Wala na’y Pasigarbo,” Baricuatro said during MyTVCebu’s Openline News Forum.

Citing ballooning costs, logistical issues, and public safety concerns, the incoming governor questioned the fairness of pitting resource-strapped towns against wealthier cities in the province’s grand cultural showcase, which she revealed cost over P200 million to stage.

“Gasto kaayo ang Pasigarbo — it’s over P200 million… And why do you let third-class municipalities compete with component cities? How can they compete in terms of budget? Logistically, it’s improbable. Luoy kaayo,” she said.

She added that several participants were injured traveling to and from Cebu City for the event.

“Daghan kaayo ang mga nadisgrasya. Kana gyud, dili gyud na nako ipadayon. I have been vocal about it from the start,” Baricuatro said.

Pasigarbo sa Sugbo, launched in 2008, is a province-wide festival featuring dance contingents from Cebu’s cities and towns.

Meanwhile, Suroy-Suroy Sugbo, which began in 2004, is a tourism caravan that offers guided tours to various destinations across the province.

But Baricuatro described Suroy-Suroy as a burden to rural residents who are made to wait long hours in uncomfortable conditions during stopovers.

Baricuatro questioned the burden placed on rural communities during the Suroy-Suroy Sugbo events, asking why people in the province had to go through such difficulties just to accommodate visitors.

Instead of continuing the programs, Baricuatro said she will redirect provincial funds to essential services like mobile clinics and mobile kitchens that will reach underserved areas.

“If there should be a Suroy-Suroy in the province, it’s not me. It will be mobile clinics, mobile kitchens that will be able to feed the public and give healthcare services,” she said.

Baricuatro also made it clear that Cebu does not need another major festival, stressing the importance of supporting Sinulog, which is already celebrated globally every January in Cebu City.

“There has to be one Sinulog. We have to collaborate with the City of Cebu. After all, we are one Cebu island. Why would I create another festival? It’s just duplicating it,” she said.

While open to creating new platforms to showcase Cebuano culture, Baricuatro underscored the need for inclusivity, practicality, and direct benefits for communities.

Baricuatro said she’s open to dancing in the Sinulog Festival next year, if Cebu City Mayor-elect Nestor Archival invites her.

Asked whether she’d don a festival queen costume, she replied with a grin, saying she could pull it off “much better.”

The remark sparked instant comparisons to Garcia, who famously performed the Sinulog dance annually as a symbol of faith and tradition.

Baricuatro’s win in the May 12 elections not only ended Garcia’s decades-long reign at the Capitol but also closed the chapter on two of the province’s most talked-about tourism programs.(MyTVCebu)