Basilica off-limits to non-city residents

CEBU, Philippines —  Only Cebu City residents with quarantine passes and authorized persons outside residence (APORs) are allowed to enter the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño to attend the nine-day Novena Masses.

Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Deputy Director for Operations Wilbert Parilla said the police and the city government have decided to limit the entry to the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño to city residents only starting yesterday.

“Ato gyu’ng gi-strikto nga kato ra gyu’ng dunay quarantine pass ug katong mga APOR nga Cebu City residents ra sad,” Parilla said in a phone interview yesterday.

Parilla acknowledged the large number of devotees who flocked to Basilica on the afternoon of the first day of the Novena Masses.

“Na-address dayon nato ang crowd although sa buntag sa opening, controlled gyud kaayo nato tanan,” he said.

DEPLOYMENT

However, he said that starting yesterday, they have realigned the deployment of their personnel due to large number of devotees flocking to the Basilica.

“Nagbunga gyud og maayo atong preparation although grabe gyud daghan gyud og tawo, need gyud og realignment sa deployment sa atong personnel,” he said.

“Katong mga dili kaayo kinahanglan og personnel atong gibawasan, atong gibalhin diri sa kinahanglanon unya sa mga oras nga identified nga daghan ang tawo, adto nato i-focus ang atong mga personnel,” he added.

Police have expected large number of devotees to flock to Basilica around five or six in the afternoon considering that employees also attend the mass after work.

He emphasized that the transition of coming in and going out after the mass ran smoothly as they applied what was practiced during the send-off ceremony.

“Ang atong mga tawo, dili mani pareha sa Manila nga atong makita. Mosunod ra gyud sila kay mga deboto gud sila. So motuman rasad gyud sila,” he said.

Around 500 personnel were deployed in the Basilica comprised of 340 personnel from the CPPO and other force multipliers from the church itself, from the Philippine National Police (PNP), Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification, and Enhancement, Cebu Environmental Sanitation Enforcement Team, and others. — KQD (FREEMAN)