Mandaue fiesta promises to be grander this year

Mayor Quisumbing announces the start of the city’s monthlong fiesta activities, together with (from left) City Treasurer Regal Oliva, overall chairman of the event Councilor Cynthia Remedio, beauty search chairman Elsa Basubas, fiesta finance committee in-charge Edita Cortes and fiesta committee secretary Gwen Tianero.
CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO

Despite a lesser budget, organizers of this year’s Mandaue City Midyear Cultural Summit promise a grander celebration.

Several events have been lined up leading to the feast day of St. Joseph, the patron saint of Mandaue City, on May 8.

During last Thursday’s media launch at Parkmall for the celebration, which marked the start of the cultural summit, organizers said that while some of their usual yearly events have been removed, there will also be new activities that the public can look forward to.

“Mandaue City has been progressing over the years, but the city still has a lot of potential to grow. We are pursuing creativity, that’s why we have a new activity, the ‘Gugmang Giatay,’ which is a Bisrock jukebox musical play,” said Councilor Cynthia Remedio, overall chairman of the event.

According to City Treasurer Regal Oliva, the city only set aside a P10-million budget for the entire celebration this year compared to last year’s P11.8 million.

Among the activities that were canceled by the city were the holding of a motorcade, and the coronation of a queen, prince and princess as well as the Panagtagbo Festival. Oliva said, though, that it will be held on a different date.

Yesterday, the city celebrated the Sotero Cabahug Day which highlighted a blessing and a wreath laying on his monument at the Heritage Plaza.

Oliva also said the Miss Mandaue pageant will be bigger this year and will feature the designs of Cebu City–based fashion designer Arcy Gayatin.

Oliva said they were expecting a bigger crowd in their fiesta activities this year.

“Every year, we have noticed that the crowd is getting bigger. Last year, we did not expect that the sports complex will be jampacked in all the shows we have had. In previous years, we did not experience that,” Oliva said.

For his part, Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (Team) head Glenn Antigua said they have already prepared traffic plans for the different activities, most of which will be held within the vicinity of the Mandaue City Hall and the sports complex.

Mandaue Mayor Luigi Quisumbing assured that the city is doing its best to ensure the safety of the public who will be attending the different activities especially at nighttime.

The mayor said the city has coordinated with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and that they will have a full-time Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team deployed during the events. K9 teams will also be deployed by the police to sweep the venues prior to the events.

Liquor ban

Meanwhile, selling and drinking of alcoholic beverages will be prohibited near the venues of the different activities of Mandaue City’s Midyear Cultural Summit this year.

Quisumbing said this is to ensure that there would be no rowdy people during the series of events leading to the feast day.

“There will be a prohibition on the selling of alcohol only when there is an activity ongoing like the disco and the battle of the bands. The liquor ban will only be for the duration of the event. There are safety concerns we have to contend with. We have to be very cautious,” the mayor said.