A DAY after Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said the center island near Sanciangko St. must be removed for the Fiesta Señor Solemn Foot Procession 2024, the island was demolished on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024.
“Naa may rota procession. Unya mura’g moagi man lang gihapon diha dapita. Kinahanglan jud makuha na ang island going towards Sanciangko kay kon dili na makuha ang island sa Sanciangko, it becomes a choke point. Unya mag backflow na and it can derail movement,” Rama said during the “Ingna’ng Mayor” program on the Sugboanon Channel Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024.
(The procession, based on the route, will pass by Sanciangko St., so the center island has to be removed because if not, it becomes a choke point and can derail movement.)
Rama said before the Penitential Walk with Mary on Friday, Jan. 19, and the Solemn Foot Procession of the Venerable Image of Señor Sto. Niño de Cebu on Saturday, Jan. 20, the center island should already
be removed.
Rama said he instructed Cebu City Transportation Office head Raquel Arce and Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head Harold Alcontin to act on the matter.
Rama was referring to the center island on Osmeña Boulevard which is located near the Social Security System building on Sanciangko St.
On Friday afternoon, SunStar Cebu snapped a photo of the island showing that most of its outer concrete casing had already been destroyed, leaving just the soil within for removal from the street.
BRT separator
Rama added that he also wanted the separator of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) lane to be removed.
“I was in Melbourne for one month. Ilang tram didto, station ra jud. After the station, it’s open kay di man kinahanglan imo i-exclusive all the way bisan way nangagi. Unya kon maabot ang panahon, naay (And if there’s an) emergency, all space in the road will definitely be utilized na siya,” Rama said.
(For their trams there, after the station, it’s open because there is no need to make the lane exclusive all the way even if no one is passing there. And if there’s an emergency, all space in the road will definitely be utilized.)
Rama said the Penitential Walk with Jesus at dawn Thursday, Jan. 11, went well.
Over 200,000 devotees gathered at dawn Thursday for the Penitential Walk with Jesus from Osmeña Blvd. to the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu, and attended the first day of novena masses in honor of Señor Sto. Niño.
The Walk with Mary on Jan. 19 will weave through the V. Rama–B. Rodriguez corridor, avoiding the traditional Guadalupe Church to Capitol site route due to the ongoing construction of the CBRT terminals. It will then tread the Fuente Osmeña to Basilica route.
The solemn foot procession on Jan. 20 will start at the Basilica, proceed left to D. Jakosalem St., then right to Magallanes St., leading to A. Borromeo St.
It will make a right turn to Leon Kilat St., then a left onto N. Bacalso Ave. The route then turns right to V. Rama Ave., followed by a right onto B. Rodriguez St., leading to Osmeña Blvd., ultimately ending at the Basilica.