Palma on EIC 2016: 5T foreign delegates, up to a million crowd

CEBU, Philippines - Around 5,000 foreign delegates from more than 120 countries all over the world are expected to attend the 51st International Eucharistic Congress to be held in Cebu City in 2016.

Archbishop Jose Palma, who appeared before the City Council yesterday, said this event is “a privilege and a gift.”

“What we want to show to other people (is that) here in Cebu, we are a people blessed with faith, we are a people, who despite some limitations, can still host the congress.  (And that) it is worth coming to Cebu,” Palma said.

According to him, it was on June 17, 2012 or the last day of  the 50th IEC in Dublin when Pope Benedict XVI announced the 51st IEC will be held here in Cebu City.

Palma said this will be the second time that the Philippines will host the event. The first one was in Manila 79 years ago.

Monsignor Vicente Tupas, rector of the Calungsod Chapel, said when it was held in Manila, at least 13 large vessels came and served as hotels to their passengers during the days of the congress.

“All the large churches were renovated. The normal population of Manila doubled during the celebration of the congress,” Tupas said.

At the 51st IEC on January 24 to 31, 2016, there will be a convention and procession, among other activities.

The convention of the event which is expected to be participated by 15,000 delegates will be held at the IEC Pavilion at the back of  Seminario Mayor de San Carlos in Barangay Mabolo, whose construction is now ongoing.

For the procession and other possible activities, officials are expecting 50,000 to a million participants.

With this number of possible attendees, the Archdiocese of Cebu is asking the city government’s participation by providing the transportation services for the proposed carrousel routes, declare a non-working holiday on January 29, which is the day of the procession, provide security to the development by neutralizing criminal elements as well as initiate cleanliness drive to spruce the city’s image.

The delegates will be housed in the various hotels in the city. The council suggested that the delegates be accommodated at the tent city since it will be available during the time as the city will also celebrate Sinulog. (FREEMAN)