20 May 2016 - Philippine Embassy personnel in Brussels shared a proud moment with other Filipinos in the Flanders area when residents of the City of Kortrijk, Belgium were treated to a “Sinulog” experience during the closing day of the “Sinksen Festival” in Kortrijk on May 16.

90 residents of Kortrijk and the surrounding towns, including three Filipinos participated in the revelry which featured Sinulog music, Sinulog moves and Sinulog-inspired costumes of different varieties. The groups roamed the streets of Kortrijk and delighted both onlookers and passers-by. A large audience, who could probably be seeing the ‘Sinulog’ for the first time, filled the streets of Kortrijk and the Grote Markt (Big Market) where the groups joined together for a culminating performance.

Mr. Stijn Van Dierdonck, Kortrijk’s officer in charge of North-South Cooperation and the Directorate for Peoples and Society said that he drew his inspiration from the ‘Sinulog’ Festival of Cebu which he first came to visit in 2011.  

In February of this year, the City of Kortrijk invited two choreographers from the Philippines to teach choreographers about the principles, history, moves, music, costumes etc of the Sinulog Festival. The local choreographers trained their own ‘cell’ and taught them their adapted version of the Sinulog music and dance. The cells merged together and came up with a Sinulog-inspired parade as they end the Sinksen Festival in Kortrijk on May 16.   

The Festival, which ran from May 13 to 16 was organized during the Pentecost weekend to provide the residents of Kortrijk and its visitors with an opportunity to relax and enjoy while sharing their talents in music, songs, dances, arts, etc. to other members of the City.

Kortrijk has a ‘sister-city’ agreement with the Province of Cebu.

Filipinos who joined the Sinulog performance were proud to have shown a bit of the Philippines in this European capital.  END