SFI: All is set for Sinulog 2011

CEBU, Philippines - The Sinulog Foundation Incorporated yesterday said, all the needed preparations for a grander Sinulog next year have been completed.

Ricky Ballesteros, SFI executive director, said that all they have to worry is the implementation for the success of the event.

Yesterday, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama met with the Philippine National Police and the rest of the members of the Police Coordinating and Advisory Council (PCAC) for his final instructions with regards to the security issue.

“Few days from now and it will be 2011 already. There is a need to have a pro-active orientation for everybody. I told them the importance of visibility, cleanliness and orderliness during the Sinulog,” Rama said.

He has also directed the City Traffic Operations and Management, the parking aides and the Squatters Prevention Elimination and Encroachment Division (SPEED) who are frontliners during the Sinulog to thoroughly plan out their strategies to ensure the smooth flow of traffic along the carousel route.

Rama said that by now, CITOM must already be prepared with the early surge of tourists who wants to witness the grand parade on January 16 or attend the events scheduled prior to the Grand Mardi Gras.

“Right now, the availability of rooms is already a problem. We are anticipating that a lot of tourists will be coming so we should be prepared for that,” he said.

Rama said that there will be more police that will be deployed in the city to augment the current number of police in the city. The about 800 city police apparently could not manage millions of people who are expected to come in Cebu to join the celebration.

Heightened alert for security will be raised anytime soon so more police for the augmentation of the existing force shall arrive soon.

Ballesteros said that he heard that City Police Director Ramon Melvin Buenafe has submitted their request for more police deployment to their headquarters in Manila.

The Central Command and the Police Regional Office will also deploy their men to maintain peace and order during Sinulog.

An estimated of 1,500 police personnel will be here for augmentation.

The P1.5 million stage at the Cebu City Sports Center is already 60 percent complete which will be different from the past stages built because this time, it will have a Chinese theme to pay tribute to the Chinese Community in Cebu that has become part of Cebu’s culture.

Contingents for the Sinulog sa Kabataan and Sinulog sa Dakbayan are already prepared for the elimination while SFI have already received informal applications from 15 out of town contingents that are interested to perform their interpretation of the Sinulog.

SFI expects new out of town contingents such as Ormoc, Dumaguete City, Siquijor and North Cotabato.

By January 1, SFI will start selling tickets and will start accepting reservations.

Rama said that he will send invitations to the President and few national politicians.

About 600 seats for VIPs will be available. – THE FREEMAN