9 of 10 injured from Cebu stage collapse out of hospital

CEBU CITY – Nine of the 10 persons who were injured during the collapse of a portion of the stage for the annual Easter Sunday reenactment in Minglanilla town in southern Cebu, had been discharged from the hospital.

Only the female victim whose leg was fractured remained in the government hospital, said Minglanilla town Mayor Elanito Peña.

Peña said he already sent the town’s social welfare officer to coordinate with families of the 10 victims and check on their hospital bills and other medical needs.

The municipal government, he said, can pay part of their bills.

The Sugat Kabanhawan, which is held every Easter Sunday, is the reenactment of the meeting of the Risen Christ and the Sorrowful Mother which the town is famous for.
Supt. Dexter Calacar, Minglanilla police chief, said the victims rushed to the stage to take shelter from the rains. The stage, which made of steel frames, was built on the quadrangle of the Minglanilla Central School.
The rain deposit on the tarpaulin became so heavy that it gave way.

Peña said he directed members of the town’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) to review their existing contract with a private contractor that was tasked to set up the stage inside the Minglanilla Central School and provide the lights and tents used in Sunday dawn’s presentation, Sugat Kabanhawan.

While he could no longer recall the contractor’s name and the contract cost, Peña said he wanted to check if specifications of their Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) were met before payment should be released to the private contractor.

He said there was also a need to ensure strict monitoring in the implementation of government projects to ensure quality service from their contractors and prevent accidents in the future. But Peña said he understood that the weather condition was also a factor why the tarpaulin fall down on the people seeking shelter from the rain.

“If the rains were not that strong, it would not have happened. The structure was OK but the rain was just too strong,” he added.

“Still, I’m just happy that no one died,” the mayor said.