Rama: No Calungsod devotee city set

BAD news for San Pedro Calungsod pilgrims on a budget.

The Cebu City government can’t put up a devotee city with free lodgings like the Sinulog.

A shipping company said it could not lend its container vans as temporary shelters for those attending the Nov. 30  National Thanksgiving Mass.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama also turned down a proposal to use public school classrooms, especially those near the South Road Properties where the event will take place.

“I did not promise a devotee city. I will not allow the use of classrooms because that is for the Sinulog contingents. If we allow devotees there, who are generally not known to us, valuables may get lost,” Rama said.

Councilor Roberto Cabarrubias earlier met with 2GO Aboitiz Transport to appeal for the use of their container vans but the firm said they needed the vans to handle the  heavy volume of cargo for the Christmas season.

While the Calungsod templete at the SRP is under construction, the mayor said he is tapping the private sector to beautify nearby  N. Bacalso Road.  He  asked Citom to prepare traffic rerouting.

“I want clear traffic plans and advisories because I can already see chokepoints,” he said especially at the Mambaling junction of the SRP.

Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal visited the SRP site yesterday.

Fr. Raul Gallego, head of the committee on venue, said work has to be fast tracked since the road networking at the site is 90 percent done while compacting and leveling of the site is 40 percent./Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac, with reports from Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol