City Council OKs P1.1M to mount ‘Devotee City’

A bigger than usual crowd of devotees is expected to flock to Cebu City for next month’s feast of the Señor Sto. Niño, an official said.

Sinulog Foundation Inc. executive director Ricky Ballesteros said devotees will be coming to thank the Holy Child that they survived supertyphoon Yolanda’s wrath and the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that hit the Visayas recently.

He said pilgrims are expected to also stay for the annual grand parade on Jan. 19.

The Cebu City Council approved a P1.1 million outlay to set up a Devotee City for out-of-town pilgirms near the Compania Maritima grounds where the city government could accommodate visitors who have no relatives in the city and can’t afford to stay in hotels or pension houses.

Councilor Roberto Cabarrubias said the amount would cover the handling fee of container vans, which the city will convert into sleeping quarters, construction materials, medicine, T-shirts for those who will man the Devotee City and other supplies.

As is the practice every Sinulog, the Devotee City will be opened to visitors at least three days before the festival.

Ballesteros said the Sinulog organizing committee is also identifying public schools that will house dance troupes of out of town Sinulog contingents.

Ballesteros said they will have to identify more public schools this time because the Abellana National High School can only accommodate two contingents because of ongoing repairs of classrooms damaged by super typhoon. Yolanda.