AN ESTIMATE of 160,000 people in the cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu joined the send-off mass and motorcade for the Señor Santo Niño and Our Lady of Guadalupe prior to the seaborne procession Saturday dawn.
Although balloons were not allowed, several devotees still released them, with their petitions attached on these, by the time the religious icons passed in their area.
Despite this, no untoward incidents were recorded in cities Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu in relation to the religious activities.
A send-off mass was held at the National Shrine of Saint Joseph at 2 a.m. before the Santo Niño and Our Lady of Guadalupe were sent to Lapu-Lapu.
Mandaue Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna together with some councilors turned over the religious icons to Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza at the foot of the Mandaue Mactan Bridge in Lapu-Lapu side.
Another mass was held at the Nuestra Señora Virgen dela Regla National Shrine at 4:30 a.m. before the Holy Child and Mother Mary were sent to the Naval Base Rafael Ramos, where the galleon was docked for the seaborne parade.
Glenn Antigua, chief for operations of the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (Team), said there were 60 motorcycles from the Team and force multipliers that surrounded the images of the Señor Santo Niño and Our Lady of Guadalupe during the motorcade to Lapu-Lapu.
Senior Superintendent Roberto Alanas, director of Mandaue City Police Office, said there were 10,000 devotees who gathered at NSSJ and on the roads in Mandaue.
It was Lapu-Lapu’s first time to serve as the starting point for the seaborne procession.
Senior Superintendent Rommel Cabagnot, director of Lapu-Lapu City Police Office, said they estimated 100,000 to 150,000 people who came to witness the event.
He said they will focus on crowd control next year for most of the people would like to get near the religious icons. (SunStar Cebu)
