Devotees City accommodates out-of-towners
-A A +AFriday, January 18, 2013
CEBU CITY -- There should be no politics in culture and the arts, said Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama during the launching of the Devotee City along with Councilor Roberto Cabarrubias.
Both officials belong to different political groups but have worked together for years for the Devotee City, an area at the Compaña Maritima where 100 container vans are stacked together to make a two-story housing compound for those who live outside Cebu City.
Devotees only have to show their bus or boat tickets to be able to avail of the temporary housing for those visiting Cebu City for the Sinulog festivities.
The area is a Wifi zone so devotees can contact their families at home.
Julie’s Bakeshop will also offer “fun and excitement” in coordination with the Cebu City Youth Coordinating Council, said Cabarrubias.
The area has portable toilets, a shower and water. The Cebu City Health Department will also have a standby doctor and medicines.
Since the City is expecting more participants this year than in previous Sinulog, Cabarrubias said the City Government has prepared tents in case the people will overflow at the Devotee City.
Each container van can accommodate 20 to 30 people, said Fidel Magno of the Department of Manpower Development Program.
Magno also recognized that some people will only come for business purposes but since the Devotee City was put up mainly for devotees, those bringing items for sale will have to be limited.
There are also 10 vans for night dwellers placed in a separate location but within the Compaña Maritima area.
The purpose for this is to separate the devotees and night dwellers because last year, organizers of the Devotee City found a syringe with traces of Nubain.
The Devotee City will be open starting today until Monday.
Cabarrubias said there were devotees already in the City but they were told to stay with their relatives in the meantime that the Devotee City is still being prepared.
Each container van has been cleaned as well.
Rama joked that politics can be discussed after Sinulog, “Inig human ani, politika nasad.”
He told reporters he is not inclined to invite some councilors to help him because he feels that they are not in the mood of helping him.
Rama, though, tapped councilors that he can work with like Cabarrubias and Councilor Lea Japson is assigned at the very important persons’ food committee.
Councilor John Philip Po, an ex-officio member of the Council as Sangguniang Kabataan president of the Cebu City Federation, is assigned in the committee for puppeteers. (JGA of Sun.Star Cebu)
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on January 18, 2013.
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