Palma leads Palm Sunday rites as Holy Week begins: Agencies on alert

CEBU, Philippines — As Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday rites led by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral today, government agencies have kicked off heightened travel safety operations across Central Visayas in anticipation of the influx of passengers this Lenten season.

Archbishop Palma will lead the Palm Sunday mass and blessing of palm leaves at 7:30 a.m. today at the Cathedral.

Blessing of the new palm also paves the way for the old ones to be used for the next Ash Wednesday based on old tradition.

The blessing of the palm itself, Archbishop Palma said, serves as a reflection of Jesus Christ’s selfless love.

Palma also hopes that as the Holy Week begins, people take time to reflect on the occasion’s holiness and importance, accept God’s grace, and do good.

Aside from today’s mass, the Archbishop is also expected to lead other activities at the Cathedral.

This includes this Holy Thursday’s Tinieblas at 7 a.m. and Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 4 p.m., Good Friday’s Tinieblas, the Siete Palabras and the celebration of the Lord’s Passion, Black Saturday’s Tinieblas and Easter Vigil Mass, and on Easter Sunday.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu explains Tenebrae or Tinieblas, which means “darkness or shadow,” is a unique and special liturgy in the calendar of the Roman Catholic Church.

It is the morning prayer of the church on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. It involves extinguishing candles one by one [after each psalm].

The final candle is removed by a server or cleric, and hidden behind a curtain or the altar, signifying the burial of Our Lord in the tomb.

A noise is made, symbolizing the earthquake at the Crucifixion.

In some locations, the clerics and congregation knock on their pews for a time.

The candle is finally extinguished and replaced on the hearse or the triangular candlestick used in Tenebrae or Tinieblas services accordingly.

Govt agencies preparation

Land Transportation Office (LTO)-7 has started deploying its personnel in public terminals and ports in Central Visayas as the “Oplan Biyaheng Ayos: Semana Santa and Summer Vacation 2025” officially

begins.

LTO-7 Regional Director Glen Galario said that their deployment started yesterday, April 11, and will last until Easter Sunday on April 20, 2025.

“Our personnel will now be visible in major public terminals and ports in the region to inspect the roadworthiness of our public utility vehicles as well as ensure that the riding public gets to their destination safely,” said Galario in a statement.

Major PUV terminals and ports in the provinces of Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, and Negros Oriental are the top priorities of LTO-7, especially those that have a high density of passengers.

Galario said that visual inspections will be conducted on all PUVs before they can ply their usual routes.

“Those that fail will still be given time to correct whatever needs to be corrected to make sure that their vehicles are worthy to transport the riding public, especially this season where an influx of passengers or the commuting public will go on vacation or come back home,” added Galario.

Aside from the inspections inside terminals and ports, random joint roadside inspections will also be conducted during the operation.

Galario added that they have drafted new regulations on the inspection of buses that are currently being implemented by their personnel.

“Aside from roadworthiness, we will also inspect if they have valid registration, licenses, and franchises," he said.

Galario also warned PUV drivers against refusal to convey passengers to their destination, over/undercharging of fare, contracting passengers or operating with flagged-up meters, failure to provide fare discounts, and other acts which constitute a breach of the conditions of their franchise.

“Daghan ni sila karon, mao nga ato sab ni silang gipangbantayan kay mahulog ni sila nga nag-breach sa ilang franchise, naa puy kolurom ani nila. Atoa ning dakpon ug pahamtangan og igong silot o i-impound ang ilahang sakyanan,” added Galario.

The public can also approach any LTO-7 personnel in the terminals or ports to report any illegal acts possibly committed by these PUV drivers.

Further, as part of the nationwide implementation of Oplan Biyaheng Ayos: Holy Week and Summer Vacation 2025 led by the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Cebu Port Authority (CPA) has placed all ports in Cebu under heightened alert status from April 13 to 20, 2025.

CPA, in coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and other government agencies, have implemented comprehensive measures to ensure the safety and convenience of travelers.

CPA General Manager Francisco Comendador III underscored the importance of passenger safety, announcing that the CPA Operations Center will be conducting 24/7 security operations to address concerns and safeguard the welfare of all port users.

To strengthen security, the CPA has deployed its own 23 K9 units composed of Explosive Detection Dogs (EDD) and Narcotics Detection Dogs (NDD), alongside over 400 port police and security personnel to conduct routine inspections aimed at detecting and preventing illegal activities within port premises.

Additionally, two patrol boats will be stationed at the Cebu Baseport to monitor activities in waterside areas. Security operations inside the ports will also be reinforced by enforcement units from PNP, PCG, MARINA, and PDEA.

CPA also reminded passengers to plan their travels ahead and to arrive early at the ports to avoid delays. Travelers were also advised to book tickets in advance or use online platforms to minimize long queues at ticketing booths.

To further manage the flow of passengers, CPA will strictly enforce a “No Ticket, No ID, No Entry” policy. Only individuals with valid tickets and identification will be allowed entry into port areas to avoid overcrowding.

Comendador also warned passengers against buying tickets from scalpers and urged the public to immediately report any illegal activity.

“With the travel season in full swing, some individuals may try to take advantage by selling tickets at unreasonable prices. We call on our port users to refrain from purchasing tickets from scalpers and unauthorized sellers,” added Comendador.

Malasakit Help Desks (MHDs) and first-aid stations will also be activated and deployed in passenger terminals to assist travelers and respond to emergencies.

All port management offices have been instructed to activate these help desks and ensure that service counters are fully staffed during operating hours.

Earlier, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said the government is doubling its efforts to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers as millions of Filipinos are expected to troop to various transport terminals for Holy Week 2025.

“Last week, nagbigay ng direktiba ang Pangulo na habang papalapit ang Semana Santa ay kailangan ang mga ahensiya ng gobyerno na siguraduhin na ang mga kababayan na bumiyahe ng safe at comfortable,” Sec. Dizon said after inspecting the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) ahead of the Holy Week rush.

The transport chief stressed that the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) priority is to “make the experience of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), passengers and foreign tourists as pleasant as possible.”

Dizon said that the DOTr is prepared for the influx of passengers in the coming days, adding that the agency will work with other agencies for efficient movement of passengers. — (FREEMAN)