Procession alternate route readied

CEBU, Philippines - A looming tropical storm has prompted Cebu City officials to prepare an alternative route for the solemn procession on Saturday.

Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council executive director Simeon Romarate said they need to come up with Plan B in anticipation of possible flooding along the solemn procession route should there be a heavy downpour on Saturday because of tropical storm Amang, which entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility last night.

Romarate said it was agreed during the meeting yesterday that the alternative route should be from Basilica Minore del Santo Niño to T. Padilla going to S. Osmeña Boulevard then to Legaspi Extension going back to the Basilica.

The original route for the solemn procession of the Holy Child is from Basilica passing through Osmeña Boulevard straight to Fuente Rotunda, right turn to Gen. Maxilom Ave., proceed to Carreta junction, right turn to New Imus Road, left turn to M.J. Cuenco Ave., right turn to Osmeña Blvd., left turn to P. Burgos St., then back to Basilica del Sto. Niño.

Romarate said most of the areas along the original procession route are prone to flooding should there be heavy rains.

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Sciences Administration-Visayas Director Oscar Tabada said he is expecting light to moderate rain on Saturday morning and heavy rain will start on Saturday night until dawn of Sunday.

“Dili man gyod ta makasiguro sa weather, so if in case naay heavy rain sa procession, makalikay lang ta,” Romarate said.

Councilor David Tumulak, CCDRRMC chairman, said the Department of Engineering and Public Works has already started de-clogging the drainage in some areas at the downtown to prevent severe flooding.

Meanwhile, tourists and devotees can now get an update on the latest events about Sinulog using their mobile phones.

InnoPub Media co-founder Max Limpag said that the public can access the latest information through the use of mobile tools like the Sinulog Guide app.

“Number of people now a days use their phones as their main device to access social networking sites or to open their e-mails, and among others, so we thought to deliver information through mobile phones since people always carry it,” he said.

He said that it provides a portable directory of contact list of hospitals, police stations, among others. It also contains GPS data and have “check location” links that, when tapped, use GPS to guide a tourist to a particular site.

InnoPub media partnered with Smart Communications Inc. when they started two years ago.

Lawyer Maria Jane Paredes, Smart Communications Senior Manager for Public Affairs in Visayas and Mindanao, said that their firm is happy to support the program.

“It’s not a static thing, it is ongoing. As things progress, information has to get updated every now and then,” she said.

“This is actually an ingenious way of bringing cultural and historical information with the use of technology,” Paredes added. —with May B. Miasco/FPL (FREEMAN)