Red Cross to deploy 200 volunteers

CEBU, Philippines – Aside from strict security, emergency medical services will be made available during Lapu-Lapu City's hosting of the International Eucharistic Congress Youth Day on January 28.

Vic Jay Gonzal, chapter service representative of the Philippine Red Cross -Lapu-Lapu/Cordova Chapter, told reporters they will deploy 200 volunteers during the event, which is part of the activities lined up for the 51st IEC in Cebu.

"We will mobilize our teams for IEC and venue sa parishes. Kung asa ang major events, didto i-set up ang atong two ambulances," Gonzal said in a press conference.

PRC's chapter in Lapu-Lapu City and Cordova, which are two adjacent local government units, has  50 on-call volunteers but it will tap additional volunteers from schools and other companies who have been trained to give first aid.

Gonzal said they will write a letter to the schools and companies to ask if they can deploy their students and employees for the two-day event.

He said they are planning to deploy six teams that are each composed of five persons in Lapu-Lapu City's six parishes.

These parishes are as follows: the Virgen Dela Regla in Barangay Poblacion, Sacred Heart Parish in Barangay Marigondon, Our Lady of Fatima Church in Barangay Pusok, the Mother of Perpetual Help Church in Barangay Babag, Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Barangay Pajac, and the Sto. Niño Parish in Barangay Mactan.

The Youth Day will be mainly held at the Hoopsdome in Barangay Gun-ob but the parishes in the host city will be preparing some activities for them when they arrive on January 27.

Local organizers said the parishes will individually host a welcome dinner on January 27 for the more or less 5,000 young participants from around the world.

In the afternoon of the actual Youth Day the following day, the youth will join the Jericho Walk which will start from Hoopsdome going to the Mandaue-Mactan Bridge heading to Mandani Bay in the North Reclamation Area, Mandaue City.

Gonzal said another PRC team equipped with an ambulance will tail on the participants.

"Naa'y team (namo) to join the Jericho Walk and naa sad ambulance nga magsunod," he said.

While the City Traffic Management Systems has yet to release final traffic route or advisory for the IEC, vehicles from Cebu City or Mandaue may use the road going to Marcelo Fernan Bridge to give way for the delegates who will be using the Mandaue-Mactan Bridge.

The delegates will use one of the two lanes of the old bridge.

"Pwede ra pero makig-coordinate lang sa ta sa Mandaue. Kung padulong sila sa Lapu-Lapu, adto sila sa second bridge (moagi)," said Mario Napule, the overall supervisor of CTMS.

Senior Superintendent Armando Radoc, acting director of Lapu-Lapu City Police Office, earlier said they are on heightened alert this Christmas and New Year, as well as during the IEC and the May 2016 elections.

Cebu will host the IEC on January 24 to 31. — (FREEMAN)