60 boats, 6,000 devotees join: Lady of Rule fluvial procession peaceful

CEBU, Philippines - It was a smooth-sailing fluvial procession for the image of Our Lady of the Rule or Virgen Dela Regla along the Mactan Channel in Lapu-Lapu City yesterday morning.

Ferrying the holy icon from the Pacific Cebu Resort in Barangay Subabasbas to the Muelle Osmeña Port in Barangay Poblacion, Chief Inspector Junnel Caadlawon, chief of Lapu-Lapu City Police Office's operations, said the whole duration of the procession was peaceful.

"So far, ang atong assessment kay peaceful, wala ta'y mga untoward incidents," he said.

The fluvial parade began around 7 a.m. and passed by barangays Marigondon, Agus, Maribago, Punta Engaño, Mactan, Ibo, Pusok and Pajo until the image's arrival at the Muelle Osmeña Port in Poblacion a few meters away from the Virgen dela Regla Church.

Mayor Paz Radaza, Vice Mayor Marcial Ycong, lone district Representative Aileen Radaza and the rest of the city councilors carried the holy icon and marched in going to the church after its three-hour cruise.

About 60 pumpboats that carried some of the devotees of the holy image also joined the procession. Other devotees and spectators were seen along the ports, by the coastal areas of the mentioned barangays.

Caadlawon said the crowd who witnessed the procession was around 6,000 in number.

"Crowd estimate nato, together with the [niapil sa] misa, siguro mga around 6,000. Apil na ang participants sa bangka," he said.

Caadlawon said some individuals still flew balloons, despite earlier advice for the public not to do so when a chopper drops flower petals in the air.

He said he advised again the public to refrain from flying the balloons and eventually asked them to fly them again only after the Cessna plane from Indiana Aerospace University dropped the flower petals.

"Actually, ato g'yud silang gipahimangnuan ganiha. Di nato kapugngan gud, kay dili nato mausab og storya ba. Pagtan-aw nato nga okay-okay na [clear skies, after flower drop], nagkadungan-dungan na ang pagpalupad sa balloons," Caadlawon said.

A mass took place after the transfer of the holy image.

The housing of the holy icon in the church marks the start of the nine-day novena, which will end on November 20.

Furthermore, no stampede or other untoward incident related to the activity was recorded, Caadlawon said.

He added that aside from police, personnel from the Navy and Cebu Coast Guard, as well as medical responder from the Philippine Red Cross, were stationed for the whole activity.

"Naa ta'y bag-ong gi-butang nga 100 ka-tawo from CLAF (City of Lapu-Lapu Auxiliary Force)," the police official said. (FREEMAN)