SFI eyes better crowd control in next year’s grand parade

CEBU, Philippines - Sinulog Foundation, Incorporated executive director Ricky Ballesteros vowed to consider crowd control as one of the main concerns in next Sinulog grand parade.

Ballesteros said he received feedback about the problem of crowd control along Mango Avenue in last Sunday’s grand parade.

He admitted that the situation in Mango Avenue last Sunday could have triggered an accident because of congestion.

“Kay kun usa lang kuno ang magsiyagit-syagit ato, usa lang kuno ang magbinuang ato, usa lang ang molabay’g botelya, as in domino effect gyud kono. Grabe gyud kuno kaayo ang tawo, as in congested and there were a lot of drinking. Wild gyud,” Ballesteros described the situation based on the report he received.

He said there was no liquor ban during the Sinulog as long as it is sold in the bar and not on the street.

“Wala man siya liquor ban as long as didto ka sa imong bar mamaligya. Pero kun gawas na siya that’s another story.So ang uban manggawas baya gyud,” he said.

Ballesteros said uniformed police personnel should be deployed in areas identified to have a problem in crowd control in the next Sinulog.

Meanwhile, the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) has reported 63 vehicular accidents and 113 towed/impounded vehicles during the grand parade.

“Ubay-ubay gyod ang bangga sa central area sa syudad gumikan sa congested nga mga karsada,” Citom Operations Chief Joy Tumulak said.

Based on the data presented by Citom during yesterday’s closed-door Sinulog debriefing at the White Gold House Restaurant, Tumulak told reporters that a total of 113, such as three trailers, 19 four-wheeled vehicles and 91 motorcycles were towed and impounded.

There were also a total of 63 traffic accidents in Cebu, which include 31 in North, 20 in South and 12 in Central Cebu from 7 a.m. of Jan.19 to 7 a.m. of Jan. 20.

Tumulak said they had a problem during the clearing operations because a lot of vehicles were parked illegally. Yesterday, Rama convened the SFI officials and peace and order personnel for the Sinulog assessment.

“No matter how it being described naa may things to be corrected, be enhanced but I thanked them to start with, for a very memorable and successful Sinulog. Let’s not all be too much achieving perfection,” Rama said, adding that Sinulog is a civic action.

For next year’s Sinulog, Rama said they are eyeing to have “interactive, collaborative, participative, family-oriented, religious, spiritual, peaceful, orderly, exciting, successful Sinulog, and the like,” (FREEMAN)