This morning’s dry run for the January 15 grand motorcade procession for this year’s Fiesta Señor celebration. | CDN Digital photo Pegeen Maise Sararana
CEBU CITY, Philippines —If there’s anything that today’s dry run for the grand mobile procession scheduled on January 15, 2022, revealed, it is the readiness of the police to secure the event as well as the entire Fiesta Señor celebration.
Police Colonel Josefino Ligan, Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) director, said that their security plans for Fiesta Señor are already set following their dry run that ran for three hours and 15 minutes.
Ligan said the dry run is well within their target duration of three hours and 30 minutes for the mobile procession.
Next Saturday’s mobile procession is expected to start at 6:30 pm, January 15.
However, Ligan lamented that there were still vehicles that inserted themselves in the convoy which supposedly should not happen. He added that on January 15, they will strictly implement the five-vehicle rule allowed to join the motorcade where the image of the Señor Sto. Niño is to be placed in the third vehicle.
The problem with motorists who tail the mobile procession was also cited by Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, deputy director for operations of CCPO, during the kick off of the Fiesta Señor last Friday, January 7, 2022.
Ligan once again reminded the public to refrain from tailing the mobile procession so as not to delay the procession.
“Medyo naay daghan vehicles nga ni convoy so we will be strict to stick to the plan nga five vehicles ra gyud and ang kadtong mga LGUs nga maagian sa Sto Niño…Going to Abellana, sa N Bacalso, medyo naputol ang convoy, wala dayon nakasunod. Nasingitan mi kay tungod layo na kaayo ang second vehicle,” Ligan said.
Since the actual activity will start at 6:30 pm on January 15, Ligan said that they already anticipate bumper-to-bumper traffic that day.
The police are also advising the public that if they have important matters to attend to, they should leave their homes at least two to three hours prior to their schedules.
“Katong naay nga appointments during those times alas 6 sa buntag hangtod alas 11 sa gabie (on January 15), kung naa moy importanteng adtuan or katuyuan, akong panawagan nga three or two hours earlier mo nga mulakaw sa inyohang balay kay para dili mo maabtan sa traffic anang mga orasa,” Ligan added.
Today’s dry run started at the Basilica grounds and made stops to at least eight churches in the cities of Cebu, Talisay, Lapu-Lapu, and Mandaue, and in Cordova town.
The dry run made stops at the Church of Holy Cross and St Thomas de Villanueva in barangay Pardo in Cebu City, St. Joseph The Worker Parish in Talisay City, St Joseph the Patriarch Parish in barangay Mabolo in Cebu City, the National Shrine of St Joseph in Mandaue City to Nuestra Señora de Regla National Shrine and Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Lapu-Lapu City, and San Roque Parish in Cordova.
From Cordova, the dry run for the mobile procession crossed the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) back to the Basilica grounds. /rcg
RELATED STORIES:
Security preparations for Fiesta Señor 2022 start
No Devotee City for Fiesta Señor 2022