Crowd crush prevention measures part of planning, Sinulog organizers assure
This is an aerial view of the Sinulog crowd at Fuente Osmeña Circle in this 2015 photo. (CDN 2015 FILE PHOTO)
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Organizers of the upcoming Sinulog Festival 2023 assured the public that measures will be put in place to prevent crowd crush.
This was their response to calls, including a resolution that Councilor Mary Ann de los Santos recently filed, urging them to prepare for crowds expected to hit South Road Properties (SRP) and the streets here for the festivities.
De los Santos, in her resolution dated Nov. 9, supported the city government’s move to transfer the festivities to SRP instead of downtown and uptown Cebu City.
Crowd crush worries
The councilor, however, pointed out that the tragedy in Itaewon, wherein over 150 individuals died in a crowd crush, should serve as an eye-opener in holding large events like the Sinulog.
De los Santos said organizers should prepare for the huge crowds, especially young adults who had not experienced Sinulog since 2020.
Lawyer Gerry Carillo, chairperson of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC), said they had started creating an ‘operational plan’ that would serve as their guide in ensuring a safe and orderly Sinulog.
It will cover not only the SRP, where the Grand Parade will take place but also other areas that will host Sinulog-related events such as Plaza Independencia and Fuente Osmeña Circle.
Ingress, egress points
Carillo told reporters on Monday, Nov. 14 that among the measures they had agreed on was establishing dedicated ingress and egress points to control the crowd.
He also said they might deploy closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras to augment crowd monitoring, and put up water stations at strategic points.
While describing SRP as an ideal place to hold large events such as Sinulog, Carillo said this did not mean they had to be complacent.
“Di ta angay magkumpyansa… SRP can definitely accommodate around 1 million people considering it’s 300 hectares,” he added.
(We don’t need to be complacent…the SRP can definitely accommodate around 1 million people considering it’s 300 hectares.)
Organizers of Sinulog 2023 are expecting at least 2 million people to flock to SRP to witness the Grand Parade, one of the festival’s highlights.
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