THE 20th City Council has approved the closure of several streets in Davao City for Pasko Fiesta 2024 activities.
Proposed by City Councilor Conrado C. Baluran, chair of the Committee on Transportation and Communications, the partial road closure at San Pedro Square will take place from 1 a.m. on December 12 to midnight on December 15, 2024, to allow for ingress.
A partial road closure will also occur at the corner of C.M. Recto Street and Roxas Avenue, near the Marco Polo side, from 1 a.m. on December 14 to December 15, 2024.
Additionally, a full road closure will be implemented at San Pedro Square, covering C.M. Recto Street at the corner of Roxas Avenue to Bonifacio Street, Iñigo Street, San Pedro Street, Bonifacio Rotunda, and Quimpo Boulevard. These roads will reopen once the last contingent of the parade has passed.
There will also be a closure at Bolton Street between Rizal Park and the Sangguniang Panlungsod building from midnight to 7 a.m. on December 16 to 24.
“The Davao City Tourism Operations Office requested for a temporary road closure on the specified date, time, and activities in consideration of the upcoming 2024 Pasko Fiesta celebration,” Baluran said.
Councilor Bernie Al-ag raised concerns about last year’s Pasko Fiesta when heavy traffic congestion caused many Dabawenyos to be stuck in traffic. He asked how the local government would ensure that the public was well-informed about the road closures to avoid a repeat of last year’s issues.
“We have to inform the public in advance because we don’t want to happen, what happened last year during the Pasko Fiesta. Also, there was a full traffic gridlock and the activity had to be canceled last year,” he said.
Baluran assured that the City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) and the Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) would announce the road closures in advance.
Councilor Al Ryan Alejandre, chair of the Committee on Tourism and Beautification, explained that last year’s Pasko Fiesta fell on a Friday, during the holiday rush.
To avoid similar problems, they have coordinated with CTTMO to adjust the dates to Sunday, when the city’s roads are less congested. RGP