Streets burst with color as revelers in costumes danced to the beat of drums, phones raised to capture celebrity smiles, during the Sinulog festival on Sunday, January 18, 2026.
Over four million people flocked to Cebu City—known as the Queen City of the South—for the grand celebration, according to the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO).
Among this year’s special guests were Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes, who were invited by a soap brand to join the parade.
Marian took to Instagram to share photos from her Sinulog experience.
Alongside a white heart emoji, she captioned: "Pit Señor! Grateful for the love, Cebu."
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Videos circulating on social media show Marian and Dingdong enjoying the festivities, with many viewers feeling "kilig" over the sweet moments caught on camera.
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Another memorable moment from the parade came when Marian spotted an iguana in the crowd.
Her face lit up with excitement as she approached the handler and eagerly asked for a photo with the reptile.
A compilation of the clips was shared by Instagram fan page @marian.quotes, accompanied by the caption: “Iguana be like, ‘Uwian na, panalo na ako!’ after taking a photo with @marianrivera [emoji] Cute cute ni Ate Yan!!! Hihi [emoji]”
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In the comments section, Marian explained her fascination with the iguana and replied: “Nako, sobrang fave ni Sixto ngayon ang mga iguana [emoji].”
Meanwhile, netizens admired Marian for handling the iguana without fear.
One user commented, "Apaka-cowgirl talaga ni Marian. Walang kinakatakutan hahaha."
Another wrote, "Tapang ni Marian—di natakot at nagpa?picture pa! [emoji] Ako, di ko kaya ‘yon, takot ako [emoji]."
An Instagram user added, "Hehe, ang cute ni Marian—wala talagang ka-arte-arte [emoji]."
Another netizen even recalled Marian’s days filming Amaya, where she worked closely with a snake, commenting, "Wala talagang takot si Queen, kahit sa ahas na ‘kambal’ niya sa Amaya. [emoji]"
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