INC event snarls traffic in Manila as flock gathers at Quirino grandstand

OF FAITH AND COLORS. A sea of umbrellas flood the Quirino Grandstand in Manila where thousands of Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ) members gather for a grand evangelical mission on Feb. 28, 2012. AFP

MANILA, Philippines—Braving the heat of the sun, members of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) started to arrive as early as noon on buses and jeepneys for the grand prayer rally set at 5 p.m. at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila’s Rizal Park.

The arrival of INC followers, numbering 160,000 as of 1 p.m. according to the Manila Police District, clogged up major thoroughfares of Manila, particularly those near and around the venue.

Superintendent Reynaldo Nava of the MPD Traffic Enforcement Unit said bottlenecks occurred mostly in the Ermita area.

Vehicular traffic along Roxas Boulevard and UN Avenue wa slow-moving while portions of Padre Burgos Street, the Lagusnilad and the Del Pan Bridge had to be closed to traffic because some had opted to park their vehicles in the area.

Nava advised motorists to avoid the Ermita area and take Quirino Avenue, Taft Avenue, or Osmeña Highway to their areas of destination.

“We are trying our best to declog the traffic congestion. My unit, the MMDA [Metropolitan Manila Development Authority], and the MTPB [Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau] are doing their best despite this heat but heavy traffic cannot be avoided,” Nava told the Inquirer, lamenting that the traffic enforcement office has been receiving calls from irate motorists.

The northbound side of the South Luzon Expressway also reportedly experienced heavy traffic.