Over 200 boats escort the MV Sto Nino (white vessel) down the Mactan Channel for the early morning fluvial procession in this January 2017 photo. | CDN file photo/Tonee Despojo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Owners of sea vessels and motorbancas, who wish to join the fluvial procession of the upcoming Sinulog 2020 in January, can now register in the Philippine Coast Guard in Central Visayas (PCG-7).
Lieutenant Junior Grade Michael John Encina, PCG-7 spokesperson, said that they had started their registration earlier to encourage more participants to register their vessels before the event.
Read more: Photo gallery: Images from the Sto. Niño fluvial procession in Cebu, reenactment of first Mass in PH
Encina said that in the 2019 Fiesta Señor, they had registered around 80 vessels that participated in the fluvial procession and they were expecting this number to increase in next year’s fluvial procession.
If vessels would register early, he said this would help them to plan the activity smoothly, especially in the deployment of their personnel and the number of floating assets that would secure the fluvial procession.
Interested participants are required to secure a permit from the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina).
Lieutenant Junior Grade Michael John Encina | Futch Anthony Inso
Encina, however, told reporters that they might cut the distance of their route next year, due to the ongoing construction of the third bridge or the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway.
“Instead of five maneuvers, we will trim it to four. So we will no longer reach the area in Pasil,” Encina said.
The Mactan Channel will be closed for navigation during the activity.
They will also be deploying floating assets in the area, in order to prevent unregistered vessels or motorbancas to join the activity so that their formation will not be disturbed.
Based on their coordination meeting with different stakeholders, Encina said that it was agreed initially that the fluvial procession would start at the Captain Veloso Pier (CVP), Naval Forces Central (Navforcen) in Barangay Looc, Lapu-Lapu City./dbs