No phone signal starting Saturday morning

CEBU, Philippines — Despite repeated pronouncements from the police and Mayor Edgardo Labella that signal shutdown will be resorted to only when the need arises, it appears that the shutdown has already been given a green light.

Cellphone signals will be blocked in Cebu City, Mandaue City, and Lapu-Lapu City starting morning of January 18, Saturday, according to yesterday’s advisory from Smart Network.

“In the interest of public safety, upon the instructions of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), we are temporarily shutting down mobile phone services of Smart, TNT, and Sun in Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, uptown and downtown Cebu City, and nearby areas where Sinulog festivities will take place starting early morning of Saturday, 18 January 2020,” the advisory posted on the network’s Facebook page read.

Saturday’s lineup of activities includes the fluvial procession on Mactan Channel and the Solemn Procession of the image of the Señor Sto. Niño around downtown and uptown Cebu City.

Smart advised that its services will be restored as soon as it gets the go signal from the authorities.

In a memorandum dated January 9, the National Telecommunications Commission directed Globe Telecom Inc. and Smart Communications Inc. to “temporarily cut off all network services during the celebration of the 455th fiesta of Señor Sto. Niño and Sinulog Festival 2020.”

The memorandum indicated that the signal shutdown will be in force from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday, January 18, in the cities of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, and Cebu for the fluvial procession; and from 12 noon to 8 p.m. in uptown and downtown Cebu City for the Solemn Procession.

The following day, Sunday, during the Sinulog Grand Parade expected to be graced by President Rodrigo Duterte, the shutdown will start at 3 a.m. and end at 7 p.m. in uptown and downtown Cebu City areas.

“There shall be no signal, direct and/or reflected, in the areas specified in the order/directive coming from any cellsites (base stations),” the memo read.

Ready for Fluvial

Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard said a total of 179 vessels and bancas are expected to join the fluvial procession this Saturday.

Michael Encina, spokesperson of Philippine Coast Guard-Central Visayas, said the participants were briefed yesterday to ensure boat and vessel owners are properly apprised regarding the flow and phases of fluvial procession, the regulations to be followed, and the preparations they have to make to ensure safety.

Encina also stressed the closure of north and south portions of the Mactan Channel at 4 a.m. of January 18 until 10 a.m. or upon disembarkation of Sto. Niño image at Pier 1.

“All participating vessels/motor bancas must be inside the channel for the proper arrangement of their respective divisions,” he said.

Airport Festivities

At the airport, the Sinulog fever is also high. This as GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation's (GMCAC) is hosting the Sinulog sa Airport at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport to formally welcome the locals, tourists, and balikbayans who are visiting Cebu for the Sinulog Festival.

This year, GMCAC will gather seven delegations from different schools and universities in Cebu to compete in Sinulog sa Airport’s Ritwal Dance Contest.

The seven delegations are from Carcar Central National High School, Gun-ob National High School, Senior High, Indiana Aerospace University, Nemesian Dance Theater, Tingo National High, Philippine State College of Aeronautics (PHILSCA), Sta. Rosa National High School, Senior High Dance Troupe, and the University of the Visayas Cheer Dance Team.

In a statement, GMCAC said that the winners of the Ritwal Dance Contest will receive P100,000, P75,000, and P50,000 for the grand winner, first runner-up, and second runner-up, respectively.

Special prizes will also be given to winners of the Festival Queen and Best Street Dance presentation.

Aside from the Sinulog sa Airport Ritwal Dance Contest, GMCAC is also giving Sinulog kits to arriving passengers, tourists, and balikbayans starting today to keep them well-nourished as they participate in the Sinulog activities.

The kits contain a Sinulog shirt, bottle of water, biscuits, a whistle, and the official Sinulog 2020 guide from the Cebu City Sinulog Governing Board and the Sinulog Foundation Inc. JMD (FREEMAN)