ONCE again, the Señor Santo Niño continued to secure its devotees and Cebu City under His mantle of protection and love.
The rain showed no let-up at the start of Sinulog week. But we knew the rain would disappear on Saturday and Sunday.
True, it rained on Saturday morning but it fizzled to a drizzle by procession time. And the dancers enjoyed a rainless Sunday celebration.
The participating contingents this year were visibly fewer. But crowd control was no problem, so we certainly appreciate this trade-off.
Reportedly, there were to be no garbage cans along Sunday’s parade route. So the public was cautioned against garbage bags, paper bags, or cartons suddenly appearing where they were not earlier.
Our law enforcers and private security personnel increased from the original 5,000 to 8,000. We’re thankful for this move; the old adage about security in numbers cannot be overemphasized.
While they constantly assured us there were no terror threats, they nevertheless refused to be complacent. Regrets always come later.
The gun ban was enforced. Still, it helped that the celebration was during the day, rather than the evening. Liquor and guns are such lethal combination.
To them, too, should our thanks go for helping prevent anything untoward to the participating contingents and enthusiastic spectators.
Pleas from Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma and other priests for people to handle their garbage correctly and properly fell on deaf ears, it seems. Unfortunate.
Still, considering tragedies that could have happened, better the strewn garbage to pick up after the celebration than strewn bodies.
The shutdown of the cell sites was off-putting. I’ve been a mobile phone user since PILTEL days in 1992. It was the answer to my need in the 60’s for a mobile phone connection. After thirty years, it finally came.
My father did not like waiting long at fetching time. So, teachers’ unplanned rehearsals for us caused me undue stress.
When I had children, I wanted the “yaya” to reach me anytime she needed to. While engaging my students over a Shakespeare tragedy or Jose Garcia Villa’s poetry, I prayed that the “yaya” was always alert and kept my girls safe.
All those years of attachment are part of me. I’d rather leave at home my wallet than my phones. So, imagine how disenfranchised I felt throughout the cell site shutdown.
But what’s a little sacrifice as a trade-off for people’s protection and safety, especially in their moments of deep devotion, prayer and homage to the Holy Child?