MOTORISTS may be better off avoiding this morning the roads leading to the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral and around it while the event of the Catholic bishops is ongoing.
This morning, at least 130 bishops and priests from different dioceses in the country will be at the Cathedral for the 10 a.m. opening mass of the 112th Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) plenary assembly.
Traffic will be heavy downtown because of this, the Cebu City Traffic Office (CCTO) said.
In Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu cities, traffic managers also cautioned motorists and commuters on the road closure for the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) activity on Jan. 28, Thursday.
The Lapu-Lapu City-bound lane of the old bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic to make way for some 5,000 delegates joining the Youth Pilgrim Walk.
This is the first time that the plenary assembly will be held outside Metro Manila, the Cathedral’s team of pastors member Msgr. Renato Beltran Jr. said.
During the assembly proper, the different CBCP commissions and offices will give a report on their programs.
The bishops may also tackle the need for a voter’s guide for the May 9 elections.
For today’s activity, CCTO executive director and lawyer Rey Gealon said that P. Gomez St., Mabini Extension, Legaspi St. and other roads near the Cathedral will be used as parking areas for the coasters and vans that will transport the bishops and priests attending the event.
The use of these roads was requested by Msgr. Beltran.
“The CCTO has approved their request since they are expecting a large number of vehicles parking inside and outside the vicinity of the Cathedral,” Gealon said.
“There will be no road closures or rerouting but motorists are advised to take alternative routes so as not to contribute to the vehicular traffic in the area,” he said.
Alternative routes for those going downtown are Leon Kilat St. or Junquera St.
The roads around the church will only be used for the duration of the mass and will last until past noon.
Beltran also requested CCTO to exempt the vehicles from the implementation of the ordinance authorizing the clamping and towing of parked vehicles on public roads.
Although the CCTO granted the request, Gealon asked the Cathedral’s priests not to allow double parking on the roads to avoid further inconvenience to the public.
Cebu is hosting the 112th CBCP plenary assembly on Jan. 22-24, before the 51st International Eucharistic Congress on Jan. 24-31.
Meanwhile, half of the first Mandaue-Mactan Bridge will be closed to traffic from Mandaue City to Lapu-Lapu City during the IEC youth pilgrim walk on Jan. 28.
One lane of the first bridge will be closed for four hours, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Glenn Antigua, chief for operations of the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (Team), said all vehicles going to Lapu-Lapu should pass through Marcelo B. Fernan Bridge.
Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) Director Senior Supt. Jonathan Cabal will deploy 146 policemen to the venues of the IEC activities.
Edgar Seno, focal person of the City Government for the IEC, said four activities will be held in Mandaue.
These include the three-day theological symposium, which began Wednesday, the closed-door bishops’ conference on Jan. 22-24, the parish encounter on Jan. 27 and the Youth Day on Jan. 28-29.
Seno said the City also allowed the MCPO officials to use 10 more patrol vehicles for the IEC activities.
Mayor Jonas Cortes allowed them to use the vehicles during a turnover ceremony at the City Hall yesterday.
About 5,000 youth will join the pilgrim walk from Hoopsdome in Lapu-Lapu to Mandani Bay grounds in Mandaue.
Lapu-Lapu City Traffic Management Systems chief Frank Brazil said they agreed that Team will start clearing the roads at 2 p.m. The walk starts at 4 p.m.
Only the Lapu-Lapu bound lane will be used by the youth delegates.
Also, only vehicles travelling from Lapu-Lapu to Mandaue can use the first or old Mactan bridge.
From the first bridge, Antigua said the participants pass A.C. Cortes Ave., turn left to Plaridel St., right to A. Soriano St., then left to Ouano Ave. where Mandani Bay is.
The youth will have a vigil in the area until 8 a.m. the next day.
Cabal said a group of policemen will be at the route of the pilgrim walk and another set of police officers will stay overnight for the vigil.
As for the parish encounter on Jan. 27, Msgr. Marnel Mejia, IEC procession head of Mandaue, said the four Mandaue parishes involved are the National Shrine of St. Joseph, Gethsemane Parish in Casuntingan, Holy Family Parish in Maguikay and San Roque Parish in Subangdaku.
Msgr. Mejia said this is the widest coverage for 51st IEC because it involves 14 parishes in one day.
He said they have coordinated with the MCPO and Team for the management of traffic during the parish encounter.
Supt. Julian Entoma, deputy director for operations of Mandaue, said the City provided them with fuel for the vehicles and food for the policemen.