The days which the whole of Cebu has been preparing for over a year has arrived. Ladies and gents, the 51st International Eucharistic Congress! This is a whole week activity of fora, lectures, and other religious activities covered by the Catholic church. It is said that over 15,000 delegates from all over the world come to Cebu for this very historical event. Take note, the last time we hosted the IEC was some seventy years ago. The generation today is lucky.
And that includes me and several others who will be on their toes for good stories to tell the whole world on the happenings of this big event. Sometimes, it is just so surreal that a simple plan could come into a reality. I could remember how it was just all said verbally that Cebu would host this international activity and now, here we are up and front before the rest of the nations.
But one of the downsides of this activity would be the effects it has on the Cebuanos. Since Sunday, a couple of roads have been closed to give way to the activities. Motorists and the riding public alike have already been forewarned of the possible traffic that could transpire because of the activities. Several schools have already suspended classes for a week. On its third day, we are yet to judge how well the planning of all the city officials went through.
The beauty of this all is sacrifice. It is but quite amazing how everybody seemed to understand the opportunity given to us. Every sector seem to step out of their comfort zones so we could accommodate our guests, both local and foreign, in our hometown. This manner of going out of the comfort zone leads to order and decency that we have all been seeking for. If this can be done for a week's international congress, why can't we do this on a daily basis? It is but enough to do all the giddy good for a show. Why don't we make it a lifestyle instead?
Activities like these are not just one for the papers but they are also areas where we can pick up lessons for the city and the society. I'm sure most of the plans implemented were those that transpired during the APEC and have been deemed effective. Since there is no international event looming Cebu yet, I guess it would be a good idea to implement whatever order on a daily basis. That way there would be an improvement to our very bustling city that never seemed to fade down even in the wee hours of the morning.
There are still a couple of days before the IEC comes to a close. It means more days of sacrifice and more days to observe. We don't know what lies ahead and how this would probably shape our history, let alone the faith that has been believed in by many. It is worth dwelling in that we have been part of an event that may not happen in our generation over, unless we are blessed with a good old age but who knows.
So let's quit the complaining and smug faces with all the big event has done to you personally. All these happened here in Cebu for a reason and that is a good enough reason to celebrate. For once, let us all be Cebuanos part of our DNA structure. We could proudly say before the rest of the world that we can slay two big international events in one sweep with no major incidents. How's that for the books?