Basilica, USJ-R sign MOA for church tour regulation

CEBU, Philippines - To institutionalize the tour inside the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño, the church yesterday entered into a memorandum of agreement with the University of San Jose-Recoletos for the latter to study the system.

Fr. Jonas Mejares, rector of the Basilica, said they noticed an increase in pilgrims visiting each year, and to prevent chaos inside the church, they decided to give it some regulation.

Apart from regulating the tours inside the church, Mejares said the goal is to also ensure that the tourists, Catholics or not, will get the right information about the Basilica and the Santo Niño through informed tour guides.

The MOA was signed by Mejares, Fr. Enrico Peter Silab, OAR, USJ-R president, Dr. Edgar Ditoya, head of the school’s college of commerce, and Reo Yamuta, chairman on Tourism and Hospitality Management Department.

Under the agreement, the school will undertake a “study” and “design of a tour system” to be implemented in the Basilica.

Mejares said they are hoping to have the studies done before the Basilica’s major celebration next year.

The church will celebrate the 450th Kaplag, or the discovery of the Santo Niño de Cebu image; the 450th anniversary of the Agustinian friars and the 50th commemoration of the church’s declaration as a minore.

The rector said that once this new system is implemented, there would be available holding centers for tourists where they will be briefed on what to do while inside the Basilica; places where to take photos; dress code; and guidelines necessary to maintain the solemnity of church.

Mejares said they will also be meeting with the Department of Tourism and Cebu tour guides to discuss this development. —(FREEMAN)