Part of D. Jakosalem St now open for easier access to Sto Niño vendors
CEBU CITY, Philippines —People can now reach the Sto. Niño vendors with ease as part of the D. Jakosalem Street where the stores are lined has been opened today, January 14.
Senior Superintendent Royina Garma, the director of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), admitted that they have received various complaints from the public that the area at the back of the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño where the stores are located are difficult to reach as barriers were placed to close it.
The CCPO noticed that vendors along D. Jakosalem Street not only sell images of the Sto. Niño and other religious items, but also provide services for Sto. Niño images such as cleaning, restoration, dressing, and repair. These services are highly patronized by the public especially during this time.
Initially, the only way to reach the stores was to take a detour around F. Gonzales Street and enter the compound through the Magallanes street entrance.
“We followed the suggestion of the people who wanted to reach the vendors easily. Kasi noon pag gusto mo bihisan ang Sto. Niño iikot pa kasi. Ngayon, pwede na sila dumaan doon kahit saan entrance sila pumasok” said Garma.
Since portion of Magallanes street leading to the Basilica has been closed to vehicles, the CCPO opted to open up a portion of D. Jakosalem Street to the walking public through whichever entrance of the compound.
“We are constantly improving our security and our strategy to also consider the convenience of the public. Every night we are assessing if our strategy is working and if we can accommodate the requests of the public,” said Garma.
Garma said that keeping the Basilica has been a huge challenge with over 700,000 people flocking to the area every day.
She said that the CCPO has adjusted many of the road barriers to accommodate more people in the compound with the approval of the Basilica management.
“The Basilica also promised to put up more televisions outside so people will no longer have to enter the Pilgrim Center to participate in the Mass,” said Garma. /rcg
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
