Heavy traffic seen near 14 churches

CEBU, Philippines - Motorists in the cities of Cebu and Mandaue should expect slow-moving, heavy traffic this afternoon due to offsite activities of the 51st International Eucharistic Congress.

The Cebu City Transportation Office announced that while there would be no road closures, buses transporting IEC delegates during today’s “parish encounters” would be occupying significant portions of several roads at the vicinity of 14 parishes in the Cebu City and Mandaue City.

The IEC delegates would be visiting the churches starting at 1 p.m. 

The churches are the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, St. Joseph Parish Church (Mabolo), St. Therese Parish Church (Lahug), Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish Church (Escario Street), Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Guadalupe), Santo Rosario Parish Church (P. del Rosario Street), The Redemptorist-Our Mother of Perpetual Help Church, The Archdiocesan Shrine of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Sacred Heart, San Roque Parish Church (Mambaling), and Our Lady of Lourdes Parish Church (Punta Princesa) in Cebu City.

Those in Mandaue City are the Gethsemane Parish Church (Casuntingan); San Roque Parish Church (Subangdaku); National Shrine of St. Joseph; and Holy Family Parish Church (Maguikay).  The IEC delegates were grouped so they would visit the churches one group at a time.

CCTO Operations Division Chief Jonathan Tumulak said slow-paced traffic should be expected especially in roads near the churches.

Several buses would carry the delegates to their respective parishes between 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. A Eucharistic celebration would then happen at 4 p.m., followed by a faith sharing by parishioners and IEC delegates.

The delegates are set to pull out from the churches between 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Tumulak said no road closures would be adopted, as traffic would just be temporarily halted while the IEC buses are passing through in going to and leaving the churches. This, however, could change.

“There is a possibility that they (non-IEC vehicles) will be rerouted but it will depend on the traffic situation. If vehicular traffic can still be managed, then there will be no road closures. But if we will observe that vehicles are clogging up with the number of delegates, then the roads may be closed,” he said.

He said, though, that after the IEC buses have properly parked and the delegates are already in the parishes, then the roads would be opened again.

This would not be the case tomorrow, because delegates will be visiting seven churches in a “Visita Iglesia” that will commence at 7 p.m.

This time, both lanes of roads of the IEC designated routes would be closed during the duration of the foot procession. Tumulak said clearing of parked vehicles will be conducted two hours before the start of the activity, with vehicles obstructing the processional route towed and impounded at the South Road Properties.

The Visita Iglesia procession would be from the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish Church, passing through N. Escario Street and right to Gorordo Avenue in going to Asilo dela Milagrosa Church. It would then proceed to F. Sotto Street, and right to Queens Road towards Redemptorist Church. After that, it would traverse Roberto Aboitiz Street, right to Juana Osmeña Street, and right again back to the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish Church.

Another procession would start from the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, passing through P. Burgos Street towards the Basilica del Sto. Niño. It would then move towards D. Jakosalem Street, left to Legaspi Street before proceeding to Pelaez Street for Sto. Rosario Parish Church. From there, the procession will follow P. del Rosario Street and left to D. Jakosalem Street towards The Archdiocesan Shrine of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Sacred Heart next to the Archbishop’s Palace. From the shrine, the procession would again traverse D. Jakosalem Street, left to P. Gomez Street, then right to P. Burgos Street before going back to the Cathedral.

“Mobana-bana mi og usa ka oras before namo ablihan ang mga dalan. The activity will end depending on the number of the participants and the pace of the foot procession. The activity is targeted to end at 10 p.m. An hour after this, the usual traffic routes will be back to normal,” he said.

“As early as 5 p.m., we urge residents and business owners along the affected routes to pull out already before mag-start ang Visita Iglesia,” he added. – /RHM (FREEMAN)