PCAC wants vessels slower during fluvial procession

CEBU, Philippines - With the 2015 Sinulog festivities just around the bend, the Police Coordinating and Advisory Council has asked the Maritime Industry Authority and the Philippine Coast Guard to put in place measures that would reduce the speed of vessels during the annual fluvial procession at the Mactan Channel. 

The concern was raised after the incident last year when a vessel almost hit another vessel while the procession was ongoing.         

Vice Mayor Edgar Labella, the chairman of PCAC, said they want to avoid the reoccurrence of such incident that may put people's lives at risks.

"Overspeeding ang mga participants sa fluvial procession. There was even one point that one vessel almost hit the other vessel so we urge the coast guard and MARINA to institute measures nga ang atong fluvial procession would be safe as possible to prevent any accidents," Labella said.

"Limit the speed of the participating vessels and prevent crisscrossing of vessels that would cross the path of other participating vessels," he added.

He said PCAC will initiate a meeting with MARINA and Coast Guard representatives, especially that the city will leave it to the agencies to set the speed limit.

The vice mayor said proper enforcement of sea traffic has to be observed properly and that it might help to deploy more marshals from the Philippine Navy to ensure a smooth flow of sea traffic along the procession route.

The fluvial parade is the reenactment of the historical arrival of Magellan's galleon at the mouth of the cove of Cebu midday on April 7, 1521, bringing the image of the Santo Niño to Cebu.

The parade, a religious-civic celebration, started in the early 1980s with performers portraying Queen Juana and King Humabon. It has become one of the highlights of the annual fiesta. — (FREEMAN)