AFTER PARTY. The night was long and hard for those who joined the post-Sinulog street parties, especially teenagers who let it all hang out in Mango Avenue. | CDN FILE PHOTO
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Multisectoral Convergence Group has recommended to Mayor Michael Rama for a ban on street parties and liquor sales along the old and new routes of the Sinulog grand parade as a security precaution.
The group also called for the strict enforcement of laws against firearms, illegal drugs, littering, and the use of fireworks and backpacks, a report from the Cebu City Public Information Office (PIO) said.
The PIO report also quoted Atty. Collin Rosell, the mayor’s executive secretary, saying that he would forward the group’s recommendations to Mayor Rama for the issuance of an executive order.
Cebu City’s Multisectoral Convergence Group consist of City Hall department heads, hospital and private sector representatives, and other stakeholders. They gathered at the Mayor’s Office at City Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 3, to discuss the dos and don’ts that will have to be implemented during the Sinulog Festival.
The meeting was called to ensure peace and order in the entire city during the celebration.
Group members anticipate that Cebuanos would go out to join the merry-making, especially during the Sinulog grand parade on Jan. 15, following a two-year hiatus.
This year’s grand parade will be held in a bigger venue at the South Road Properties (SRP) instead of its usual venue at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC).
And while the grand parade will already be held at the SRP, group members were in agreement of the need to still ban street parties near CCSC, taking into consideration the incidents that happened in the past Sinulog celebrations.
“Crowds flock together to drink and party, which becomes uncontrollable. We don’t want the worst to happen also,” Raquel Arce, the head of the Cebu City Traffic Office (CCTO), said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Daisy Villa, the City Health officer, said that her office would check the potability of water in various schools in the city, especially those that will be occupied by the out of town contingents of Sinulog 2023.
Healthcare sector representatives also said during their Jan. 3 meeting that Cebu City hospitals will be on “Code White Alert” during the Sinulog.
Code White Alert refers to the readiness of a hospital’s manpower to ensure immediate mobilization in the event of emergencies.
As a precaution against COVID-19, Rosell is also asking spectators and all the merrymakers to continue to observe minimum health standards that include the wearing of face masks, observance of physical distancing, and continued disinfection.
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