CEBU, Philippines — This year’s Sinulog Grand Parade on January 21 will start at 7:30 a.m., an hour and a half earlier than the customary 9 a.m.
Cebu City Councilor David Tumulak, who sits as Sinulog Executive Committee chair, made the announcement yesterday, adding that they target to end the event at 3:30 to 4:00 p.m.
“Well nakita nato nga nagka-anam kadaghan gyud ang contingents nga niapil, then ang bana-bana sad nato sa flow sa parade,” he told The FREEMAN.
At least 33 dancing contingents have signed up for this year’s grand parade. Twenty of which are participants for the Sinulog sa Barangay, seven for the Sinulog sa Lalawigan, and six out-of-town contingents.
Sinulog sa Barangay contenders are from barangays Labangon, Duljo Fatima, Sawang Calero, Basak San Nicolas, Bacayan, Tisa, San Roque, Bulacao, Buhisan, Apas, Sta. Cruz, Mambaling, Guadalupe, Mabolo, Cogon-Pardo, Lahug, Sapangdaku, San Nicolas proper, and Pasil.
Naga City, Tuburan, Ginatilan Elementary School, Ginatilan High School, Talisay City, Carcar City, and Bogo City, on the other hand, are the Sinulog sa Lalawigan contingents.
So far, there are six out-of-town contingents who have signified to join. They are from Panglao-Bohol, North Cotabato (Kalivingan Festival), Calubian and Abuyog in Leyte, Dumaguete City, and Catbalogan City in Samar.
Unlike in the past that only the winners in the Sinulog sa Kabataan and Sinulog sa Lalawigan will have a chance to join the grand parade and showdown, this year, all the contingents can participate.
The Sinulog Grand Parade starts on Imus Road to Gen. Maxilom Avenue, to Fuente Osmeña, down to Osmeña Boulevard and then to the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) for the ritual presentation.
On the other hand, the Mass at the CCSC will start at 7:00 a.m.
Traslacion
On the eve of the Fiesta Señor 2018, the images of Sto. Niño and Our Lady of Guadalupe will visit Virgen De Regla National Shrine in Lapu-Lapu City next to National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue City.
The customary “traslacion” or transfer of the images of Sto. Niño and Our Lady of Guadalupe from Cebu to the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue re-enacts the meeting of the Child Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Joseph.
For the first time, the Augustinian friars agreed to extend the visit of the images to other cities like Lapu-Lapu to respond to the clamor of parishes who have been lobbying for it for years now.
The sendoff Mass at St. Joseph Shrine is set earlier at 2 a.m. on January 20 to transport the pilgrim images through a motorcade to Virgen de Regla Shrine where the faithful can venerate these images.
Mario Napule, City Traffic Management Systems (CTMS) officer-in-charge, said the roads will be closed at 2:30 a.m. These include the two lanes of the Manuel L. Quezon Highway leading to J.Y Dela Cerna Street and S. Osmeña Street.
"Once masulod na sa simbahan ang Sto. Niño, maabli na nato balik ang kalsada," Napule said.
As agreed during the coordination meeting yesterday, Napule said the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (TEAM) will divert traffic to Marcelo Fernan Bridge.
CTMS, on the other hand, will man the traffic at the end of the old Mandaue-Mactan Bridge on the Lapu-Lapu City side.
The traffic teams will provide alternative roads for motorists.
As for the security, Lapu-Lapu Mayor Paz Radaza said force multipliers will monitor the situation, along with the personnel of Lapu-Lapu City Police Office.
The mayor is also planning to tap students from various schools in the city to help cordon the procession route.
Napule also said traffic marshals on board motorcycles will help in manning the vehicular flow.
The meeting was attended by the department heads of the Lapu-Lapu City government, representatives of the National Shrine of Virgen dela Regla (NSVDR), Navy, emergency-response units, as well as the LCPO-Traffic Enforcement Unit, and CTMS.
The personnel will meet again next week to finalize the preparations for traslacion. —KBQ (FREEMANNEWS)