TO avoid accidents, the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LCPO) is discouraging the public from bringing balloons in the fluvial procession of our Lady of the Rule today.
The fluvial procession is part of Lapu-Lapu’s celebration of the feast of its patron saint, which will be on Nov. 21.
In an interview, Chief Inspector Junnel Caadlawon, head of operations of the LCPO, said they won’t allow balloons for today’s event so these will not snag in the blades of the chopper that will be fielded.
He said they don’t want balloons to hamper the visibility of the chopper or endanger the lives of its pilots.
Caadlawon recalled that a balloon got stuck in the chopper’s blades during the fluvial procession last year.
He said the participants and spectators released the balloons while the chopper was dropping flower petals when the procession reached the Muelle Osmeña wharf.
“So we urged our parishioners, churchgoers and viewers not to release balloons, especially when the chopper is hovering, to avoid untoward incidents,” he said.
LCPO is coordinating with the Philippine Navy, the Philippine Air Force and the Philippine Coast Guard, among others, for today’s activity.
The Lapu-Lapu City Tourism and the Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission are the organizers of the event.
The fluvial procession will start from the Pacific Cebu Resort in Barangay Suba-Basbas to the Muelle Osmeña wharf at the back of the Nuestra Señora Virgen de Regla National Shrine.
Prizes will be given to the most decorated vessel for the barangay-based and the tourism stakeholder-based categories.
On the city’s peace and order situation, Caadlawon said Lapu-Lapu continues to be safe from any threats.
“Based on our intelligence report, the City is still safe but we still need everyone’s cooperation. They should report any suspicious person to us,” he said.