Let’s face it. If you’re a Cebu local, or at least a local-at-heart, Sinulog is no longer about the parade but the parties. And while Sinulog itself is a one-day event, the revelry is really all weekend long.

More than any other time of the year, Sinulog is when you’ll find this city most alive. Those you haven’t seen in ages suddenly emerge from wherever it is they’ve been hiding, people become a bit more adventurous with their wardrobe choices (no such thing as too many feathers!), and a total stranger will randomly offer you a beer right in the middle of the streets—sketchy elsewhere and at any other time, but not in Cebu during Sinulog.

Our Sinulog officially started at Treff at Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino for Revelry, its annual pre-Sinulog party attended by their 20, 30 and 40something guests (who don’t look it at all). The women came mostly in black, always a no-fail option at night, but some chose to add a bit of drama to their outfits either with a hint of metallic, a festive accessory here or a strategic cut-out to show some skin there.

Resident DJ Bong Suzara’s tribal house tracks were just the thing to get guests into a party mindset as they sipped on Jack Daniel mixes or their poison of choice.

From Treff, those of us brazen enough to brave the crowds headed to The Loft and The Penthouse for Globe Tattoo, which had brought in Opus at The Loft, featuring Bombi Balquierda and Manolet Dario, and Republiq at The Penthouse with DJs Funk Avy, Nina and X Factor.

Young Cebu drank and danced alongside Globe Tattoo’s CEO and head honcho, Ernest Cu and Nomadic Broadband Business Head, the cool (literally, the man doesn’t perspire) Dong Ronquillo.

Georgina Wilson, Raymond Gutierrez, Isabelle Daza, JM Rodriguez, Bubbles Paraiso, Karel Marquez, Dondon Hontiveros and girlfriend Valerie Concepcion, all in town for the festivities, were some of the name-droppable celebrities who were also at the event.

“It’s a madhouse, but hey, it’s Sinulog! I’m glad we came,” said Kirsteen Lim to boyfriend Andrew Lim, who, little did she know, was going to be her fiancé just hours after!

The next day on Sinulog Sunday, after freshening up and washing face paint off our faces (aftermath of that afternoon’s street parties), we found ourselves at the Republiq Party at Ayala Terraces for what was the second installment of Globe Tattoo’s back-to-back Sinulog parties.

Young Cebuano VIPs, with hip media bloggers, took their places in an on-stage lounge area, the best seats in the house from which to move to the beats of DJs Nina, Funk Avy and X Factor. It wasn’t a bad spot either from which to watch the spectacular fireworks show, a fitting complement to an equally spectacular weekend.

The face of Globe Tattoo’s latest Resist Against Uniformity campaign, Georgina Wilson and boyfriend Borgy Manotoc hung out with the guests alongside Globe Tattoo’s party-loving team and Republiq’s Party General, Stephen Ku. It looked like some of the capital’s prime party people all brought their A-game to Cebu and in return, Cebu showed them some love.

As we overheard Zee Lifestyle’s Mikey Sanchez tell Borgy Manotoc, “Welcome to Sinulog! And this is how it’s done!”