More than the noise of drums, the festival has a laudable origin. It dates back when Kabankalan was just a barangay of Ilog, the once capital of Negros Island and Siquijor. Since Ilog was navigable, it was the center of commerce and had been very progressive, to the envy of Muslim pirates who were about to conquer the place but with people gathering in Church and praying, a small Child with the shining sword atop the Church’s roof drove the pirates away. People believed that it was Sto. Niño, and to honor him, dances were offered first by the sacadas but because it was attractive to tourists, it has later become a festival.
Sinulog derived its name from "Sulog" a Hiligaynon word for current, as Ilog is a river. Actually, the festival for me had been paganized before, as you can see women in two-piece suit carrying Sto. Nino, leads the tribe while dancing and drunk men raise their bottles of beer shouting, Viva, Senor Sto. Nino. Thanks to Father Henry Pineda's valiant homilies. He also used to tell the difference between 'pang-fiesta and merry-making'. When you go to the place and attended the fiesta, you are with the community in thanksgiving to their patron. But if you just went there for fun, that's merry-making and not pang-fiesta. (I read somewhere that Sto. Nino cannot be a patron because he is the Second Person of the Trinity, that is why Cebu's patron saint is Our Lady of Guadalupe).
Never did I enjoy the merriment at the plaza, probably because of my introverted personality. I often stayed at home to accommodate guests, if there was any. I sometimes question how the celebration had been commercialized and how people had been pre-occupied by the menial tasks thus losing the real meaning of the celebration, that is, Jesus, was born amongst us and had been a child such that, we must have that childlike dependence on God, yet doing our best in every endeavor.
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