Capitol: City did not coordinate assistance for Devotee City
City hall employees put finishing touches like installing a CCTV camera in Devotee City. The free temporary housing beside the Maritima building will receive out-of-town devotees on Friday. / CDN file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Three days before Devotee City opens for Santo Niño devotees this January 17, 2020, the Capitol said the city has not informed them yet on their particular role in catering the out-of-town devotees.
In the previous years, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) OIC Wilson Ramos said the Capitol assisted in maintaining the Devotee City. The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) also used to set up rescue and emergency stations there.
The devotee city is a container van settlement that will be open from Jan. 17 to 20 to accommodate revelers of the Sto. Niño who would not have a place to stay during the festivities.
“Wa man mi directive or letter na-receive from [Cebu] city hall,” Ramos told CDN Digital.
(We did not receive any directive or letter from the Cebu City hall.)
“We are just waiting for the city to request assistance for the devotee city. At this point, we may be already falling short in time for the preparation,” Ramos added.
Governor Gwendolyn Garcia earlier said that the province will be extending all the help it can to the city for the Sinulog.
Garcia said this is the Capitol’s way of thanking the city for its help for the staging of the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo last August 2019.
Last week, Garcia met with representatives of the Sinulog Foundation Inc. (SFI) and Sinulog Governing Board to discuss the province’s financial assistance to the Sinulog organizers.
In an interview this afternoon, Jan. 14, Garcia said the province will be extending P5 million assistance for Sinulog 2020. Garcia clarified that the P3 million that she okayed to release last week was the province’s promised contribution for the Sinulog 2019 yet.
For the Sinulog Grand Parade, the PDRRMO and some local DRRM units from the towns will be putting up emergency stations along the parade route.
The Provincial Health Units will also set up medical stations along the route of the parade in Jan. 19 and the solemn procession on January 18. /rcg
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