Coast Guard dry run: Fluvial procession to run one and a half hours

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Sailing at about eight kilometers per hour, the LCT (land craft, tank) vessel that will be transformed into the Galleon that will carry the image of Señor Santo Niño cruised the route of the fluvial procession within 59 minutes.

The Galleon, Mandaue Shipping and Lighterage Corp.’s LCT Teofilo Camomot, Coast Guard’s vessel BRP Capones and eight other small floating assets traced the route of the seaborne procession during their dry run on Monday, January 13.

Captain Rodolfo Dela Peña Jr., deputy commander of the Coast Guard District Central Visayas (PCG-7), said they are confident that they can meet the two-hour period allotted for the fluvial based on their initial dry run.

“Tama lang ang gikusgon sa among dagan pero on the actual three knots (equivalent to about 5 kph) na lang ang among idagan to compensate for the time allocated for the fluvial which is two hours. Maybe we can finish in one hour and thirty minutes, more or less,” Dela Peña said in an interview after the dry run.

At 4 a.m. on Saturday, the north and south entrances of Mactan Channel would be cleared from vessels that were not registered as part of the fluvial fleet. Dela Peña said registered vessels were given flags that they would install in the vessels as a mark that they are part of the procession.

BRP Capones will be the lead vessel in the fluvial procession followed by LCT Teofilo Camomot which will ferry the image of the Holy Child and priests from the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño.

The two vessels will be the first to depart the Phase 1 of the fluvial route, or from Captain Veloso Pier of the Naval Force Central Visayas (Navforcen) in Looc, Lapu-Lapu City until under the Sergio Osmeña Sr. Bridge (1st Mactan- Mandaue Bridge).

“Mauuna yung lead vessel followed by the Galleon. Yung dalawang vessel lang na magdedepart from phase 1. Yung iba will remain until yung galeon will preposition facing south channel going to Pier 1,” PCG-7 Spokesman Lieutenant Junior Grade Michael John Encina said in a briefing prior to the dry run.

Encina said the participating vessels will be designated into divisions based on their size. “Just stay close to your division. If you are assigned to a division don’t cross to other divisions because that will impede yung flow,” Encina said.

Encina added that two security vessels will be on each side of the galleon to ensure its security and that no vessel will be crossing its way during the procession.

The fluvial procession is expected to arrive at Pier 1 in Cebu City at 8 a.m., in time for the image and the priests to disembark from the vessel for the 9 a.m. Mass at the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño. /rcg