City hall employees put finishing touches like installing a CCTV camera in Devotee City. The free temporary housing beside the Maritima building will receive out-of-town devotees on Friday. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
For out-of-town devotees arriving in Cebu City who can’t afford to book a pension house or be hosted by relatives, they can stay for free in Devotee City.
The free lodging arranged by the city government every Sinulog will open on Friday near the Compania Maritima Building.
About 120 empty container vans are being prepared to accommodate about 3,000 devotees, said City Councilor Roberto Cabbarubias.
The vans were stacked yesterday on site.
¨What makes it different this year is that we’re providing WiFi connection in the area,”said the councilor.
Basic facilities are provided : shower rooms, a cooking area and portalets with water and electricity.
The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company is setting up the WiFi connection so lodgers can contact their family and friends.
Tanods from barangay Sto. Niño and San Roque will secure the area. An Internet-ready camera is also installed on site for a live streaming video of the area linked to the Cebu City website.
Medical stations equipped by the City Health department and an ambulance are available for any emergency.
The Devotee City was originally launched as ¨Tent City¨ in Plaza Independencia in 1996. For the past five years, the temporary housing has been located near the Compania Maritima building, across the old City Hall.
Only out-of-town visitors, usually devotees from the towns, can stay here.
They just have to present a bus ticket or boat ticket which will serve as their pass in order to prioritize those who come from towns beyond the cities of Danao in northern Cebu, Carcar in southern Cebu and other provinces outside Cebu.
Every lodger will be given an I.D. Card and get get a free ride heading to Devotee City.
The temporary housing will operate until Monday, the day after the Sinulog parade. Then the container vans will be dismantled and returned to shipping companies that donated them.