As the image of the Sto. Niño de Cebu is set to stay overnight in Mandaue City for this year’s Fiesta Señor celebrations, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) will deploy personnel around the clock to ensure public safety throughout the Traslacion and related activities.
CDRRMO head Buddy Ybañez said the extended stay of the revered image required a more comprehensive operational plan than in previous years.
Preparations were coordinated with Cebu City, the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu, the Philippine Coast Guard, and the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO).
The response will involve multiple agencies, including the Bureau of Fire Protection, MCPO, CDRRMO personnel, and barangay officials.
On January 7, the CDRRMO also held a meeting with barangay disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) focal persons, who will serve as backup along the Traslacion route and at designated viewing areas for the fluvial procession.
Ybañez said the CDRRMO will deploy around 105 responders alone, covering the route from Barangay Subangdaku to the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Barangay Centro.
Medical stations will be set up at the shrine, with barangay emergency response teams taking shifts every four hours to assist devotees and manage the crowd.
“This year’s deployment is different because the Sto. Niño will arrive in the morning and stay overnight in Mandaue City. The Mass will be held at 9 a.m., and the Traslacion back to Lapu-Lapu City will begin at 5 a.m. the following day,” Ybañez said.
Personnel will be stationed along the entire route continuously, starting at 6 a.m., with regular rounds every 30 minutes conducted by CDRRMO staff, barangay ERTs, and medical teams.
Ybañez also cited heat-related emergencies as a key concern, recalling that several devotees experienced fatigue and heat exhaustion during last year’s celebration, particularly between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
“We are advising everyone to take extra precautions. Crowd buildup usually starts around 3 or 4 p.m., and we also expect more devotees at night since the Traslacion back to Lapu-Lapu City is scheduled early the next morning,” he said.
He urged the public to cooperate with safety protocols and take necessary precautions as Mandaue City hosts the Sto. Niño de Cebu overnight, marking a highlight of this year’s Fiesta Señor. (VCL)
