Heavy congestion expected near Carmelite Monastery

The Our Lady of Mt. Carmel will celebrate its annual feast today. /CDN file photo

Motorists are advised to avoid Pope John Paul II Avenue in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City today as hundreds are expected to crowd the area for the annual feast of the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church.

Congestion is expected to start in the morning where Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma will officiate the 10:30 a.m. fiesta mass.

Francisco Ouano, operations chief of the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO), said that while no road closure will be implemented during the day, they expect people to crowd a portion of the road fronting the Carmelite Monastery compound where the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church is located.

Road closure will only be implemented if congestion problem becomes unmanageable, he said.

“As much as possible if naa pa moy kaagian lain adto mo agi. Avoid lang sa para dili matanggong (As much as possible, I am asking Cebunaos to avoid the church area. Use alternatives roads),” Ouano told Cebu Daily News in a phone interview.

He is also asking churchgoers to park their vehicles in designated parking areas.

CCTO enforcers will not hesitate to clamp illegally parked vehicles that will obstruct the flow of traffic in the area.

Ouano said he will deploy at least six CCTO enforcers to man traffic in close to the church grounds.

Senior Insp. Dindo Juanito Alaras, chief of the Mabolo Police Station, said that he will also deploy 14 uniformed policemen to ensure peace and order during the festivities.

Alaras said that they will set up a Police Assistant Desk outside of the church’s gates to attend to churchgoers different concerns.