THE images of Sto. Niño and Our Lady of Guadalupe will be carried for the first time by a shipping company for the seaborne parade on Jan. 19.

Fr. Ric Anthony Reyes, secretary of the Fiesta Señor committee, said Roble Shipping Lines was picked through drawing of lots.

The company will prepare the boat that will serve as the Spanish galleon replica that will carry the two religious icons.

Reyes told Superbalita Cebu on Thursday, Jan. 3, that the Roble family has already chosen the vessel that will be used in the seaborne parade.

The fiesta committee is also evaluating four other shipping companies for their capacity to carry devotees.

In the past 37 years, the family of Ernesto C. Ouano Sr. prepared the Spanish galleon replica and seaborne parade started from Ouano Wharf in Mandaue City. But this was stopped last year.

The Philippine Navy boat carried the images in the 2018 seaborne parade, which started at the Naval Forces Central (Navforcen) in Barangay Looc, Lapu-Lapu City.

For this year, the seaborne parade will start at the Muelle Osmeña in Lapu-Lapu City at 6 a.m. (FROM SCG OF SUPERBALITA CEBU / KAL)