VENUE CHANGE?
The past three days of rain have caused unexpected flooding at the San Pedro Calungsod Templete where one million people are supposed to gather on Sunday for the Statio Orbis closing Mass of the 51st International Eucharistic Congress. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
Rains flood SRP site for closing Mass; Options weighed
With three days left before the end of the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC), the Cebu Archdiocese is faced with a wet challenge.
The 27-hectare vacant lot at the South Road Properties (SRP) where one million people are expected to gather on Sunday for the closing Mass called Statio Orbis is flooded.
IEC organizers are weighing whether to transfer to another venue if rains don’t stop, said Msgr. Joseph Tan, Cebu Archdiocese spokesman.
A final decision has to be made soon.
The rains, caused by the amihan or northeast monsoon, forced IEC organizers to cancel this afternoon’s Pilgrim Walk, a religious procession by youths from the Hoops Dome in Lapu-Lapu City to an open field of Mandani Bay in Mandaue City.
Instead, the 5,000 delegates of the two-day Youth Day, a side event of the IEC , will hold all activities indoors in Hoops Dome, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza said.
Radaza announced the cancellation on Wednesday following her meeting with Fr. Kit Sestoso, officer-in-charge of the IEC Youth Day.
“Roads leading to Hoops Dome will definitely be closed to all vehicular traffic,” she said.
Cebu Auxiliary Bishop Dennis Villarojo, IEC secretary-general, called for a meeting last Tuesday to seek advice from committee heads on whether they need to to hold the closing Mass in another place.
No final decision has been made yet.
WEATHER FORECAST
The weather forecast for Sunday is “cloudy with sunny periods and light showers then partly cloudy, sunny later in the day,” according to the state-run Pagasa-Visayas.
Thursday and Friday will be “cloudy with sunny interals and light rains”. Saturday will be “partly cloudy and sunny.”
“We’re really anxious about what might happen due to bad weather. But why don’t we pray? We still have three more days to go before the closing Mass,” Tan told reporters yesterday.
There was a suggestion to transfer the venue to the Cebu City Sports Center but organizers are considering the cost of moving since facilities like bleachers, a widescreen, and a renovated templete are already in place at the SRP.
“Perhaps we have to stick with SRP and do what was done in Palo (in Leyte) during the visit of Pope Francis: The show must go on,” said Tan.
He called on the public to pray for the weather to improve in the next three days.
Fr. Brian Brigoli, head of the IEC committee for venues, said they had a limited choice of venues in Cebu City that could accommodate one million people and were short of time.
“I hope we don’t change the venue. I beg all of you to pray for the success of the closing event. Pray for good weather, so by Sunday everything will go as planned,” Fr. Brigoli said.
The SRP field was last used for a massive crowd in November 2013 for the national thanksgiving Mass for the canonization of Pedro Calungsod, an event that gathered about one million people.
When Cebu Daily News visited the site yesterday afternoon, it looked like a compound of fish ponds. The area, covered with loose soil and limestone or anapog, was muddy. Several areas were flooded.
If pilgrims gathered there today, they would have to wear boots as many would be standing ankle deep in water.
Florante Aleriano, foreman of the San Pedro Calungsod site at the SRP, said they have been preparing the site since October last year.
“If it had not rained in the past few days, we wouldn’t have this problem,” he said.
Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma (center), answered queries at a press conference with papal legate Cardinal Charles Maung Bo and Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
Among the improvements in the 27-hectare lot as of yesterday were some paved areas for reserved seats of the 15,000 delegates and the 2,000 bishops and priests.
The original bamboo Calungsod templete or small temple was reinforced with concrete. Rooms were built behind the stage as a holding area for IEC committee members. Entrance and exit pathways for delegates were also paved.
Metal bleachers were set up at one side for the choir. On the day itself, big LED screens will be set up with 10 smaller screens in different blocks for the audience.
PLDT-Smart is providing Wi-Fi connectivity. Metal fences will separate spectators from IEC delegates for security purposes.
Plans also call for portable toilets on both sides of the lot, and 11 medical stations set up for every block.
The Statio Orbis , Latin for “stations of the world” , will gather delegates from different countries to honor the Eucharist, which Catholics honor as the actual presence of Jesus Christ in the Mass, and the “source and summit” of the Catholic Church.
During the celebration, Pope Francis is expected to deliver a message, possibly in a live video feed from the Vatican, and announce the venue of the next IEC in 2020.
Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma earlier canceled Masses in all parishes in Cebu on Sunday after noontime to give priests and the faithful the chance to attend the closing Mass at 4 p.m.
No road closures are planned for the Jan. 31 event, but there’s an option to seal off roads leading to SRP and part of N. Bacalaso Avenue if traffic congestion gets severe, said the Cebu City Traffic Operations Office.
Those attending the Mass are advised to be at the site as early as 10 a.m. to avoid traffic, said CCTO operations chief Jonathan “Joy” Tumulak. Parking areas are designated for motorists without IEC passes in the SM area.
For those coming from the north, the designated areas include the Senior Citizens Park near City Hall, Legaspi Extension near Plaza Independencia, Arellano Blvd. Palma St. and V. Sotto St. near the pier area.
Those coming from the south can park their vehicles in the open lot near the Kasadya sa SRP and the road leading to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 7 office.
From the parking areas, he said 15 Kaohsiung buses will be deployed to fetch those headed to the San Pedro Calungsod templete where the Statio Orbis will be held. The buses will arrive at the venue at 1 pm.
If traffic remains manageable, Tumulak said the CCTO will just implement a truck ban on those entering the SRP starting noon on Sunday.
Private vehicles will just be allowed to pass through.
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