CEBU CITY, Philippines—Barriers around the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu will be removed after more than a week of closure.
Cebu City Councilor Philip Zafra, the City Council’s chairperson for the committee on peace and order, said they will remove the barriers along Magallanes Street, F. Gonzales street, portions of D. Jakosalem and Osmeña Boulevard.
These roads will be reopened shortly after the Hubo Mass on January 22, 2021, so that vehicles can pass through already.
“After sa Hubo Mass, hinay-hinayon na natog tangtang ang barriers pero naa gihapoy portion nga pabilin,” said Zafra.
(After the Hubo Mass, we will slowly remove the barriers but some will still remain.)
The roads directly in the vicinity of the Basilica will still remain closed as the city government plans to the pedestrianize these areas.
Zafra said it has been a long-term plan to pedestrianize the Basilica and City Hall areas to preserve these spaces.
After the Sinulog season, the city government will once again begin preparing for the Quincentennial Anniversary, in which the Basilica and other parts of Cebu City are integral parts of the celebration.
Zafra said the public must prepare for another set of security interventions around the Basilica and other areas for the celebration.
The Quincentennial Anniversary will begin on April 2021 and end on January 2022, with various activities spread out in months.
/bmjo