The country’s leading fintech company and mobile money app GCash paid homage to Sr. Sto. Niño by powering the Sinulog 2019 mobile companion as Cebuanos celebrate Southeast Asia’s grandest festival.
GCash has also introduced its cashless payment system using QR codes to vendors at the Kalingawan sa Plaza (Entertainment at the Plaza) in Cebu’s Plaza Independencia.
“Senyor Sto. Niño has made Cebu the Cradle of Christianity in this part of the world. We are very happy to be part of the Sinulog festival which is dedicated to the Holy Child,” said Anthony Thomas, President and CEO of Mynt. Mynt is the operating company of GCash.
50,000 square-meter plaza sits in front of the historic Fort San Pedro and Malacañang sa Sugbo. It is a block away from the Basilica del Santo Niño and Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.
Celebrated annually on the third Sunday of January in honor of Cebu’s patron Sr. Sto. Niño, the Sinulog festival culminates a week full of religious and cultural activities alongside rave parties and concerts.
Millions of devotees and revelers go out into downtown and uptown Cebu City for the religious procession on January 19 and the grand Sinulog parade on January 20.
The Sinulog Foundation Inc., headed by Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña and executive director Councilor David Tumulak, has mandated the launching of a digital companion for devotees and revelers way back in 2018.
The launch of a better, more advanced, yet friendlier Sinulog 2019 mobile companion happened simultaneously with the Sinulog kick off activities last January 11, 2019.
This digital companion should enchant digital-savvy devotees and revelers of the Southeast Asia’s grandest festival, said Tumulak.
“Aside from being the app’s Premier Sponsor, there is a P1,000.00 GCash Reward for the popular #SinulogMoment photos and videos posted in Facebook from January 13 to 21,” said Anthony Thomas. “GCash customers also get to enjoy up to P500.00 off when they scan special QR vouchers at GCash Partner Merchants here in Cebu during Sinulog as well,” he added.
A devotee or a reveler posting festival photos must put in the captions the following hashtags: #SinulogMoments and #PagGCashNaBai.
This is in addition to the official #Sinulog2019 and #SinulogfortheWorld.
According to Councilor Tumulak, the mobile app was created as Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña has been pushing for ways to reach out to the younger generations. The mayor, he added, is also looking forward to the 2021 celebration of the 5th centennial of Ferdinand Magellan’s arrival in Cebu way back in March 1521.
MORE PHOTOS AT THE GCASH DAY
A former educator and now working as a freelance writer. Simply living her own version of life’s passion – music, mobile photography, story telling, road trips and food trailing! 🙂