The Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (TEAM) will deploy at least 70 personnel to manage traffic and ensure public safety during the Traslacion of the Santo Niño image for Fiesta Señor 2026.
TEAM head Hyll Retuya said preparations are already underway following coordination meetings with organizers from the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño.
Mandaue City plays a key role in the celebrations as the meeting point of the sacred images — the Birhen sa Guadalupe, Señor Santo Niño, and St. Joseph of Mandaue City — collectively called the Sagrada Familia.
The images will convene in Mandaue before heading to Lapu-Lapu City for the fluvial parade and returning to Cebu City.
Traffic enforcers will be stationed along major routes where the convoy passes, with personnel positioned at key areas to secure the procession.
Patrol vehicles and motorcycle units will also be deployed once the convoy enters the city’s boundaries.
A dry run is scheduled for the first week of January to test and refine traffic management plans.
Retuya said preparations are largely similar to last year, with added contingency measures for heavy rain or flooding.
“There are no major changes in our preparations, except that we have contingency plans if there is heavy rain or flooding. If there are no such incidents, the route will remain the same,” he said.
Retuya clarified that there will be no full road closures during the Traslacion.
Roads will only be temporarily closed while the convoy passes and reopened immediately afterward.
The Traslacion route in Mandaue City will pass through Barangays Subangdaku, Tipolo, and Sta. Cruz before proceeding to St. Joseph Parish.
Retuya assured the public that TEAM is on track with preparations and ready to manage traffic during one of Cebu’s largest religious events. (VCL)
