Close to 200 vessels joining fluvial parade

CEBU, Philippines —  The Philippine Coast Guard-Central Visayas has registered a total of 181 vessels and watercrafts as of yesterday morning that will be participating in the fluvial procession on January 14, 2023 which is part of the Fiesta Señor 2023.

Stephen Pagcaliwagan, information officer of PCG-7, said that of the 181 that have registered, 16 are yachts, 17 tugboats, 131 motorbancas and 17 vessels weighing less than 300 gross tonnage.

“Will be closing registration of watercraft within today so that we can finalize preparations/deployments,” Pagcaliwagan said yesterday.

The fluvial procession this year has been extended which is down to the NuStar area at the South Road Properties passing under the iconic Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX).

The fluvial procession is one of the highlights during the Sinulog annual festival. The activity was halted for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, prior to the fluvial procession on January 14, the Mandaue City government revealed the route for the Traslacion once the images of Señor Santo Niño and Our Lady of Guadalupe arrive in Mandaue City on January 13, Friday.

It said that from the boundary between Cebu City and Mandaue City, the Traslacion will pass L. Jaena Street in Subangdaku straight to A. Del Rosario Street then right turn to S. B. Cabahug Street in Barangay Centro going to the National Shrine of Saint Joseph.

The Traslacion is expected to reach the shrine between 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.

The Santo Niño and Our Lady of Guadalupe will stay in Mandaue until Friday evening. A send-off mass at 11 p.m. will be done before these will be transferred to Lapu-Lapu City for the fluvial procession.

It can be recalled that Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard "Ahong" Chan has likewise convened the Traslacion Coordination Group for a meeting in preparation for the coming Sinulog Traslacion.

In line with the religious activity, the first Mactan-Mandaue Bridge will be closed at midnight on January 13 until the passage of the Holy Images at around 2 AM on January 14.

The Holy Images will be turned over from Mandaue City to Lapu-Lapu City at the foot of the Mactan-Mandaue Bridge.

Traslacion means "transfer" – an annual religious procession or convoy of the Santo Niño image from Cebu City to Mandaue City and Lapu-Lapu City, then back to Cebu City via the fluvial procession. — GMR (FREEMAN)