Sto. Niño is ‘original’ Road Revo warrior

Advocates of the Road Revolution are meeting some public resistance, perhaps because the activities lack a “faith dimension”.

This was the opinion of Fr. Tito Soquiño, an Agustinian priest with an advocacy for environment protection.

He said the road closures last Sept. 24 in Colon Street and two other downtown streets, which upset many store owners, motorists, commuters  and PUJ drivers, involved the same route as the annual procession of the Señor Sto. Niño every January.

“The religious procession in honor of the Señor Santo Niño was the original Road Revolution,” he said.

Yet, the religious procession, which draws thousands of Catholic devotees and road closures for as well as tourists who attend the Sinulog Grand Parade the next day, does not stir the kind of public resentment and anger that the Road Revolution did for its campaign to promote  “sharing of space” with pedestrians and vehicles.

Soquiño pointed out that people don’t get upset by the Sto. Nino annual foot procession or the Sinulog festval where thousands of people flock to the city and blanket major thoroughfares like Colon and Osmena Boulevard.

“The Road Revolution program is being staged as a purely secular affair, but you can’t exclude environment or ecology from faith.”

“If it is only done on the secular level, “dili gyud ta magkasinabot ana” (We will not understand each other).

He said it was worthwhile “to reflect on our faith in the Santo Niño because we have a track record of more than 400 years,” referring to the devotion of the Cebuanos to the Holy Child, whose image was given to Cebuano natives in 1521.

Soquiño said the “human aspect” in environmental issues is also important.

“Plan it carefully,” he said.