By John Rey Saavedra/PNA
CEBU CITY — Rain showers on Thursday failed to prevent devotees from swarming the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu to hear the first-day of novena masses.
This, despite minor hitches when the crowd control team of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) set up barricades at the church’s vicinity, reportedly disturbing the ingress and egress of devotees.
CCPO Director Senior Insp. Royima Garma personally supervised the crowd control operations Thursday, despite criticisms from the devotees for limiting entrance to the church at the Plaza Sugbo in front of the Cebu City Hall, where the historical landmark, Magellan’s Cross, is located.
Devotees are only allowed to exit along Osmeña Boulevard, where the organizers assigned two exit ways, one on D. Jakosalem-Osmeña Boulevard juction, and one on Burgos street, said Garma.
The city police director, however, said the setup has been decided collectively by the police and the Sinulog Foundation, under the leadership of City Councilor Dave Tumulak.
Tumulak, for his part, said in a phone interview that the entrance-exit setup is the task of the police.
“Gisultian naman nako ang police ana (I have already asked the police about it),” Tumulak said.
An estimated crowd of not less than 300,000 attended the opening salvo of the nine-day novena mass through a procession dubbed as Walk with Mary, from the Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish Church crossing Fuente Osmeña circle to the Basilica, said Agustinian friar, Fr. Aladdin Luzon.
When the penitential foot procession reached the Basilica, the devotees began to complain about the limited entrance near the Cebu City Hall.
“Naglisod mi’g sulod sa simbahan (We find difficulties in entering the church). I have a senior citizen mother,” Heffer Sanico, an overseas Filipino worker, told the Philippine News Agency.
Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 (Central Visayas) Director Chief Supt. Debold Sinas said he sent a contingent of around 300 uniformed policemen to man the route of the foot procession.
Sinas said the security arrangement in this year’s celebration is not only limited inside the church but also on the roads along the vicinity of the Basilica.
“Para ang mga tawo dili maghuot. Naa silay time mag-standby (So that the people will not suffer congestion. They will have time to standby),” the regional police chief said.
Basilica’s prior-rector, Father Pacifico Nohara Jr. told the Cebu media that after the 5:30 a.m. first novena mass, the devotees were advised to exercise restraint while participating in the Fiesta Señor activities.
“Unta ang mga debotos nga moanhi naa gyud unta ang ilang pasensiya. Dili ta moanhi aron mangaway, kun dili moanhi ta aron mosimba (Devotees should come with patience. They should not come to quarrel, but to hear mass),” the Agustinian friar said. “Dili ta magtulod-tulod dili ta mag-away (We should refrain from shoving at each other).”
Fr. Nohara added: “Maayo nang hapsay atong pagsimba ug makabaton usab og kalinaw sa atong pagpanimba ug sa atong pagpamauli, madala nato ang gugma ni Sto. Niño (It’s good to have an orderly conduct of the holy mass and we attain peace in participating the mass and we can bring with us the love of Sto. Niño in our way home) .”
Fr. Luzon, who is in-charge of peace and order at the Basilica, told the media that the Walk with Mary was orderly done.
He thanked the police for implementing security measures along the route of the foot procession and the vicinity of the church.
The crowd management in this year’s celebration has improved, Fr. Luzon said.
