Devotee City to open on Friday

CEBU, Philippines - The Devotee City annually set up by the Cebu City Government for the devotees of the Sto. Niño who come here every Sinulog from far places, will open on Friday.

Councilor Roberto Cabarrubias, chairman of the Devotee City Committee, said the temporary facility is 80 percent complete and will be ready by the opening on Friday.

The devotee city is set up at the Compaña Maritima. Accommodation is offered free for devotees who come to Cebu but have nowhere else to stay.

He said they only need to install a perimeter fence for the safety of the occupants.

All 110 container vans, 100 vans for the devotee city and 10 vans for the night dwellers, have been set up, cleaned and properly labeled.

Like last year, the facility can accommodate 3,000 devotees from the province and outside Cebu.

The devotee city will accept devotees from areas beyond Metro Cebu or beyond Danao City in the north and Carcar City in the south.

There are 50 portable toilets in place and adequate showers. Dirty kitchens were also set up for those who will cook for their food.

A landlord or a landlady is assigned for every three container vans.

Each container van can accommodate about 25 individuals.

Cabarrubias said that medicines worth P18,000 have been purchased for the mobile clinic which has two assigned doctors.

Like last year, the devotee city will be streamed live over the net and will be equipped with wireless high speed internet access.

There are also sponsors who will provide snacks to devotees.

The water is to be provided by the Metropolitan Cebu Water District while the electricity will be shouldered by the Visayan Electric Company.

The nearby barangays shall take charge of the area’s security.

The devotee city will be open from Friday to Monday. —/MIT (FREEMAN)