CEBU CITY -- Rain or shine, the colors and energy of the Cebu City's Sinulog festival still poured out onto the streets in a grand parade.
Despite tropical depression Amang entering the country, millions flocked to the city on the third Sunday of January to celebrate one of the largest Philippine festivals in honor of the Señor Santo Niño or the Child Jesus.
The city's major streets were closed to make way for the colorful floats and street dances that highlight the creativity of the Cebuanos.
Since street parties were recently banned along the parade route due to unruliness in recent years, various celebrations were organized around the city, like a star-studded concert staged by budget airline Air Asia.
The Sinulog traces its roots before the arrival of European explorers in the island.
In reverence to native idols and spirits and eventually the Santo Niño, dancers move two steps forward and one step back to the sound of drums, which is said to mimic the current, or 'sulog' in Cebuano, of the Pahina River.
These became the basis for the formation of the dances during the first Sinulog in 1980 and eventually the grand festival that it is at present.
The festival is not just the celebration of the Child Jesus, but also a colorful feast of history and identity.
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Scenes from the grand parade at the Sinulog Festival 2019 in Cebu City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News