This year’s Sinulog brought a couple of firsts for me. Along with other journalists, editors, and bloggers, OPPO brought me to experience Sinulog firsthand with the OPPO F1s. It was my first time participating in the annual Cebuano festivities. It was also my first time relying on a selfie-driven phone for photography.
Despite tagging my Nikon D7200 along, I found myself taking quick shots and selfies with the OPPO F1s for a good part of the festival. The ‘Selfie Expert’ F1s was capable of standing toe-to-toe with the DSLR. From a technical standpoint, the DSLR wins but unless you’re nitpicky, the F1s can easily produce publishable images for both web and print.
The OPPO F1s is equipped with a 13-megapixel rear camera with f/2.2 aperture lens. More importantly, it comes with a 16-megapixel front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture lens. The OPPO F1s is one of the rare smartphones that carries a much more capable selfie camera compared to its rear camera. Regardless, both cameras take stunning photos. Its camera capabilities are further complemented by the vibrant colors on display during Sinulog.
Here are the best photos I took during Sinulog. Let’s also make it more fun! Can you spot which ones I took with a DSLR and which ones I took with the OPPO F1s?
No trip to Cebu is complete without visiting Magellan’s Cross. This tall cross supposedly encases the cross planted by Ferdinand Magellan when he came to Christianize the Philippines in 1521. The chapel that houses the cross is located in the city center of Cebu City.
Right beside Magellan’s Cross is the Santo Niño Basilica. The basilica is where Miguel de Legazpi found the original statue of the Child Jesus which was presented by Magellan to Rajah Humabon.
The murals on the Basilica’s ceiling are likewise sights to behold.
Banderitas line the city center to celebrate Sinulog.
Like the Taj Mahal, the Temple of Leah is a monumental testament to love. This Classical Romanesque site is a tribute to Leah Villa Albino-Adarna from her loving husband Teodorico Adarna! These Adarna lovebirds are also the grandparents of model and actress Ellen Adarna.
Sadly, it was very foggy when we visited the site. Several rooms were also under construction so we were limited to just the main temple.
OPPO’s Ollie strutting it out on the temple stairs!
Who says you can’t make art with a smartphone?
The TOPS Skyline Garden is also located nearby. Reached through treacherous mountainous roads, TOPS is a sight worth seeing. The site overlooks Cebu City and offers amazing sights from sunrise to sundown. Sadly, it was foggy so we didn’t see much of the view.
Proper Sinulog celebration started at night when parties peppered the city. OPPO was a major sponsor of ETC’s free concert where paint was flung into the crowd.
The Sinulog celebration reached its peak during the day parade. Dedicated mostly to devotees, the Sinulog Parade showcased Cebu’s colorful costumes and the Santo Niño. The parade marched throughout the entire city.
There are only two DSLR shots out of the eleven? They are the ones whose captions end in an exclamation point. Did you catch them all?
