People gather along Mango Avenue for the post-Sinulog street party in last year’s Sinulog celebration (CDN FILE PHOTO).
TWO more Sinulog parties have been given the go signal by Cebu City Hall.
Plus63 Music and Arts Festival in the Cebu Business Park and Paintensity in the Greenery were already given special mayor’s permits, said Nagiel Bañacia, Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO) head, yesterday.
“They were able to submit a disaster management plan which we required. We also inspected the area yesterday (Thursday). We also required them to have a traffic plan, evacuation area and internal control systems,” he said.
The plans also include entry and exit areas going to and from the event venue; number of guards and bouncers; crowd management plans; and number of expected guests, among others.
“Basically, we required them to identify the risks and threats to their activities in general. Then we asked for their control measures to eradicate these risks,” he said.
They were also told to tap private and nongovernment groups to provide these events with security and emergency medical services.
Party schedules
The Plus63 Music and Arts Festival is scheduled today and tomorrow while Paintensity will be today.
The first Sinulog party that was given a permit was the Sinulog Invasion, which was earlier supposed to be held at the Sacred Heart School-Jesuit Gym in Mango Ave., but organizers were advised to transfer their venue. After agreeing to transfer to the South Road Properties (SRP), they were granted the permit.
Hyper Wonderland
Bañacia said so far, Hyper Wonderland in Vibo Place along Escario Street was the only Sinulog party that had not been granted a permit to avoid traffic congestion along the area especially after the Sinulog Grand Parade.
The CCDRRMO has already passed a resolution prohibiting Sinulog street parties within 300 meters from the solemn procession and grand parade route.
Existing bars and establishments within the routes are also prohibited from using their parking spaces as party areas and putting up tables and chairs outside their main establishments.
Bañacia reiterated that they will be documenting violators during the Sinulog weekend and that the city government will run after them after the event.
Violators run the risk of having their business permits canceled by the city.
Schedule changes
Meanwhile, Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak advised the different contingents and participants to be alert of changes in the time schedules when Sunday’s activities would start.
“So please be early. Expect that there may be changes in time. This is part of our security preparations,” Tumulak, who is also the deputy mayor for police matters, said during a solidarity meeting with the contingents and participants yesterday.
He also told the contingents to make sure to have their support vehicle in the assembly area in Imus Road early in order to avoid being kept out of the grand parade route.
The city will be blocking and putting up physical barriers in intersections leading to the parade route as another security measure.