IEC walk venue on ‘final touches’

CEBU, Philippines – Mandani Bay has already paved its three-hectare property where more than 3,000 delegates of the 51st International Eucharistic Congress Youth Day will gather this Thursday.

“We’re very ready. For the last two months we’ve been coordinating with the police, Mandaue City (government)… We are now (doing) the finishing touches,” said Mandani Bay’s project director Gilbert Ang.

Ang said they have decided to allocate the three hectares along the bay area “because we want (the pilgrims) to experience the sea breeze” and being in the open view.

As of yesterday, the whole stretch was being paved, ground was compacted, and by tomorrow, the stage, the 80 portalets and the 20 wash areas will be installed, said Ang.

On Thursday, IEC youth delegates will walk their way from Lapu-Lapu City’s Hoopsdome to the Mandani Bay at the North Reclamation Area.

Ang said that although the entire 20-hectare property is already enclosed with a six-foot fence, they will also fence off the three hectares to provide additional security to the pilgrims, especially that they will be spending the night there before they leave for Cebu City in the early morning of Friday.

A screen fence is also being put up along the bay area to prevent the young delegates from loitering at the seafront, yet lets them see the vast Mactan Channel.

Ang said the site of the Youth Day will be Mandani Bay’s “Marina Area” similar to Singapore’s which will also have a boardwalk that is set to be finished by the end of this year.

Meanwhile, the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue will be closing Cabrera Street in Gethsamane Parish in Barangay Cansuntingan and the street fronting St. Joseph Shrine in Barangay Centro for the Parish Encounter on Wednesday.

Glenn Antigua of TEAM said they need to do it to allow the pilgrims to board or alight from the eight buses that will ferry them from one parish to another. There are four parishes in the city that will be part of this event.

Antigua said they will deploy 120 enforcers to help man the streets where there are IEC-related activities.

TEAM will also be implementing a half-road closure on  Ouano Avenue to the Mandaue-Mactan Bridge during the walk on the afternoon of January 28.

The other part of the road will, however, be opened, two-way, to vehicular traffic. The bridge will only be available for vehicles coming from Mactan area; those going there will need to use the Marcelo-Fernan Bridge. (FREEMAN)