Special gun ban in effect for 2013 Sinulog

GUN OWNERS in Cebu City were advised to keep their firearms at home from Jan. 10 to 25 in keeping with the annual Sinulog celebration.

A resolution to enforce a special gun ban was passed by the Police Coordinating and Advisory Council (PCAC) for the duration of the Sinulog observance starting from Jan. 10 to 20.

The ban even covers gun owners with permits to carry firearms outside of their homes.

The resolution stated that the special gun ban will be enforced to “ensure  the protection of Cebu City residents and visitors during the Sinulog period.”

The PCAC is headed by Mayor Michael Rama and is comprised of representatives from the law enforcement agencies and the Department of Interior and Local Governments (DILG).

The annual grand parade is scheduled on Jan. 20.  A street fair along Osmeña Boulevard already opened last Dec. 1.

The Cebu City Council also wanted the city’s annual cut flower festival included in the annual Sinulog activities.

Councilor Alvin Arcilla told city agriculture head Joey Baclayon in last week’s budget hearing that the cut flower festival scheduled every October will have better mileage and a wider audience if incorporated into the Sinulog activities.

The Cebu City government spent P450,000 for this year’s cut flower festival while Bacalayon sought a P600,000 budget for next year’s festival.

Arcilla said decorating the floats used in the annual parade with cut flowers will give the cut flower farmers from the city’s 28 mountain barangays the exposure they need to potential buyers. Correspondent Edison delos Angeles