Fiesta Señor begins with mobile procession

CEBU, Philippines — The 457th fiesta of the Holy Child, Señor Sto. Niño de Cebu, kicks off with a mobile procession at 4:30 am today but no other vehicles are allowed to join the convoy while novena masses will all be done online.

From the Basilica Minore del Sto.Niño de Cebu, the procession will go left to MJ Cuenco Avenue then right to Imus Avenue, left to General Maxilom Avenue then left to Sotto Drive passing through Our Mother of Perpetual Help Parish-Redemptorist then left to Juana Osmena Street and back to General Maxilom Avenue going to Fuente Osmeña Circle and then to Osmena Boulevard and back to the Basilica.

The Basilica announced that no other vehicles will be allowed to join in the convoy of the mobile procession.

Yesterday, a send-off mass for personnel to be deployed for the fiesta Señor took place at the Basilica.

Hundreds of personnel from the city government have been deployed including those from Cebu Environmental Sanitation and Enforcement Team (CESET), Cebu City Police Office, Prevention Restoration Order Beautification and Enhancement (PROBE) team, Task Force Kasaligan, Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO), and the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (CCDRMMO).

This year’s fiesta celebration, amid a solemn one, carries the theme “Santo Niño: Our Source of Communion, Life for Mission and with a hashtag #PadayonTaNiño “which encompasses the sanguine spirit of the faithful in moving forward with their stories of hope, healing, and recovery.”

Padayon is a Cebuano term that translates to continue, move forward, and or keep going, this amidst all challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent supertyphoon Odette.

Novena masses will be lived-streamed and no physical masses to prevent possible transmission of the COVID-19.

The novena masses start today until January 15 while the fiesta itself will be on January 16. On the other hand, January 17 is set as a Thanksgiving Day and the traditional “Hubo” on the 21st of this month.

The main entrance remains at the Magellan’s Cross area and exit at Osmeña Boulevard side.

For those who want to offer candles, the “dagkutanan” has been temporarily transferred to the Pilgrim Center for the duration of the fiesta for better social distancing amidst the threat of COVID-19, while the Basilica church will be closed. The Pilgrim Center is open from 4:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily except today as they open at 6 a.m. yet.

A separate line for the veneration of the image of the Santo Niño has also been set in place.

Also, the Cebu City Transportation Office has asked devotees to park on designated parking lots only. This includes Robinson’s Galleria and SM Seaside. Buses will be provided to and from the Basilica.

"Giawhag ang tanan mobisita sa Basilica nga dili mag pataka og park aron dili ma clamp o tow. Puwde kita mo-park sa SM Seaside o Robinsons Galleria. Adunay mga Buses mo dala gikan sa mga mall padulong sa A. Pigaffeta St. sa may Plaza Independencia nga BUS STOP," read the CCTO’s post.

Other parishes though are also holding novena masses to avoid overcrowding at the Basilica.

On the first day of the novena today, the image of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, and La Limpia of the Our Lady of Mt.Carmel Parish-Recoletos will also visit the beloved Holy Child Jesus at the Basilica at 9:30 am before her episcopal coronation tomorrow (Jan.8).

On January 15, the image of Santo Nino will pass through CCLEX during the grand mobile procession.

The route will be from the Basilica going to Talisay, then back to Cebu City going to Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu City, and Cordova town crossing the CCLEX bridge and back to Basilica.

On the fiesta on the 16th, a mañanita mass is set to take place at 5am followed by a solemn pontifical mass of Archbishop Jose Palma.

Cop deployment

The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) will officially deploy its at least 175 police personnel Thursday evening ahead of the novena mass Friday dawn in line with the Fiesta Señor.

Police Lt. Colonel Wilbert Parilla, CCPO deputy city director for operations, said the cops will stationed along the routes of the motorcades.

Parilla said that although the novena masses are virtual, the deployment is to anticipate that people will still be going to the churches just like the previous year.

Further, cops will also monitor the Walk with Mary this Friday dawn in which will be held through a motorcade.

"Naa gihapon tay police, ang tanang rota nga maagian sa motorcade ug CCTO nga maoy mag man sa traffic then atong mga personnel along with the CESET and PROBE mao say mo-secure sa kadalanan," said Parilla.

"Kay for sure man gud naa gihapo'y mga tawo nga muhugop sa nga kadalanan kun asa muagi atong Senior Santo Niño, so to make it sure na ma maintain gihapon atong minimum health protocols, duna gihapon tay i-deploy na police personnel," he added.

The same deployment plan will also be enforced during the procession of Walk with Jesus, which will be also done through a motorcade on January 15.

In line with this, Parilla reminded the public who wish to witness the processions to avoid making movements on the sidewalk and to avoid setting up sound systems.

"So ato gihapon na syang gibawal ang kanang magtaod og sound system or any nga makabalda,pwede ra sila mutan-aw,mubarog, but we have to maintain lang gihapon sa atong minimum health protocols," said Parilla.

He added that this is also part of the preventive response against the new COVID variant threat. —  Caecent No-ot Magsumbol with Sanden Anadia, KQD (FREEMAN)