A quarter before 10 a.m., revelers have started to fill the sidewalks along Gen. Maxilom Ave. (CDN PHOTO/VICTOR ANTHONY V. SILVA)
CEBU CITY–“Stay disciplined and enjoy the Sinulog.”
This was the message of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña to all Cebuanos before he formally declared the Sinulog 2017 formally opened at 10:14 a.m. on Sunday.
Osmeña said law enforcers and other security volunteers were deployed along the 6-km route of the Sinulog Grand Parade to ensure the security of participants and spectators.
“My objective is to make our celebration safe for our children. If the public is behaving in such a way that our children will no longer safe on the streets, we will take action,” he said in a brief message which he delivered at the grandstand inside the Cebu City Sports Center, the parade’s final judging area.
“I ask the participating audience that this year we are going to be extremely stiff. We are after quality not quantity,” he said.
Osmeña also threatened to suspend for 30 days the permits of commercial establishments that would close their parking areas to organize parties.
Osmeña said his policy of “no parties” and “no drinking” along the Sinulog route would strictly be implemented.
Personnel from Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) and Osmeña responded to a commotion at the Greenery in Barangay Kasambagan past midnight on Saturday. He immediately ordered the a dance party dubbed as “Paintensity 2017” stopped after its crowd started to become rowdy.
Osmeña said posted on his Facebook page on Sunday dawn that he would also go around the city streets after the Grand Parade past 5 p.m. on Sunday to make sure that parties in commercial establishments in the city would stay orderly.
Violators would be dealt with accordingly, the mayor warned.
“Pasensya na lang if they violate the rules kay naa tay restrictions.They are not allowed to put speakers on (the Sinulog) route, drink on the street. (If they violate) their permits will be postponed and canceled for 30 days,” Osmeña said.
He also appealed to Cebuanos to be conscious of what was going on in their surrounding.
He said that boxes and bags left behind along the grand parade route should immediately be reported to the police.
A total of 107 participants have registered for this year’s Sinulog which include 23 dancing contingents.
The Grand Parade was officially opened at 10:14 a.m. following a 9 a.m. mass at the grandstand stage.