CEBU CITY — Activities for the 453rd Fiesta Señor celebration kicked off here Thursday morning with the “Walk for Jesus” procession.
Thousands of Señor Santo Niño devotees joined the 2-km. penitential “Walk with Jesus” starting at about 4 a.m. from the Fuente Osmeña Circle to the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño.
Central Visayas Police director, Chief Supt. Jose Mario Espino, personally supervised the security of the procession together with Sinulog 2018 Executive Committee chairman, Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak.
Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO) operations chief Harold Alcontin said the crowd was estimated to reach 80,000, including those who participated in the procession and the people inside the Basilica.
Basilica rector and overall chairman of the 2018 fiesta celebration Fr. Pacifico Nohara Jr. exhorted the devotees to spread their devotion to the Child Jesus to others in his homily during the first novena mass.
Nohara said the Cebuanos are truly blessed as the original image of the Sto. Niño is “here with us, constantly guiding our ways”.
The Sto. Niño de Cebu, one of the oldest religious icons in the country, was brought to Cebu in 1521 as a gift by Ferdinand Magellan to Rajah Humabon and his wife Hara Humamay when the Portuguese explorer landed on the island.
Procession route security commander, Chief Insp. Jacinto Mandal Jr., said no untoward incident was reported except for some devotees who fainted and had breathing difficulties during the procession and the mass.
Meanwhile, Espino said they had not monitored any security threat so far that would require the shutting down of telecommunication signals during the Sinulog Festival on January 21.
There was also no need to implement a gun ban, added Espino, as no incident involving firearms was reported during last year’s revelry. (With reports from Michelle Bugtai/PNA)
