LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu—Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan plans to limit the number of devotees who will wait for the arrival of the galleon that will carry the image of the Nuestra Señora de Regla during its fluvial procession on Saturday, November 12, 2022.
Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan said that this is to prevent a possible stampede incident at the Muelle Osmeña Port in Barangay Poblacion, especially since the activity was suspended for two years due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID)-19.
Chan said that they are expecting an influx of devotees during the return of the fluvial procession this year.
“We’ll, number one and stampede gyud no? We would not want what happened to other countries [to happen here]. Tungod kay bag-o lagi, expected gyud na nga bag-ong mga events nga dugay nga wala mo-kuan, daghan gyud ang modayo niana,” Chan said.
The fluvial procession is part of the religious activities for the upcoming fiesta celebration of the image of Nuestra Señora de Regla on November 20-21.
Chan also discourages senior citizens and children to participate in the activity and advised them to just wait inside the Nuestra Señora de Regla-Parish National Shrine in Barangay Poblacion for the mass that will be initiated after the arrival of the image.
The mayor added that he is also worried about the integrity of the port, especially since the structure is already old.
“We must also have to protect the structure. We don’t know, the structure is very old already, so i-limit lang pod nato,” he added.
This year’s fluvial procession will start from Roro Port in Cordova town and will commence at around 6:30 a.m.
The boat procession will sail from the southwestern part of Mactan Island, navigating through Hilutungan Channel, to Magellan Bay in Punta Engaño, then to Mactan Channel.
It will sail in the Mactan channel until it reaches Muelle Osmeña, which is just below the Nuestra Señora de Regla-Parish National Shrine.
After the galleon docks at the port, the image will be brought to the church via a procession.
/bmjo
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