MANILA Mayor Alfredo S. Lim yesterday said preparations for the annual Black Nazarene procession on Wednesday (January 9), as far as the city government is concerned, are already in place and all system go.
City administrator Jay Marzan, and city disaster risk reduction management Council chief said classes have been ordered suspended in several schools which either happen to be located in or near the procession route or where traffic is expected to be adversely affected, so as not to inconvenience the students.
Marzan disclosed, there will be no classes in the following schools: A. Mabini Elementary School , Geronimo Santiago Elementary School , Ramon Avancena High School , Manila High School , V. Mapa High School, Araullo High School, City College of Manila , Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila and Manila Science High School.
Regarding private schools and establishments along or near the route that will be taken by the devotees, Marzan said the mayor leaves it up to their owners to decide whether they will close down for the day or not.
Among others, the city will be extending assistance to the yearly `Traslacion’ by way of providing logistical preparations of the roads, electrical lightings, stage and other related needs; attending to the sanitary needs before and after the festivities; coordinating with the National Parks Authority for the use of the Quirino Grandstand and Luneta facilities and tasking the Manila Disaster office to make the necessary coordination with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
Lim has also been meeting with Manila Police District (MPD) Director Chief Supt. Alex Gutierrez regarding plans for security and peace and order maintenance during the entire celebration.
Gutierrez, for his part, assured the mayor that security preparations are well in place even before and after the event to ensure the safety of the devotees and mere spectators.
The mayor earlier directed Marzan and chief of staff and media bureau director Ric de Guzman to mobilize and coordinate with all the concerned city government offices whose roles have been defined in connection with the said occasion.
Marzan and De Guzman have been sitting in all meetings relative to the annual religious event and have assured that the city government will extend all necessary assistance so as to ensure its success, based on the mayor’s orders.
De Guzman said the mayor has also ordered the rental of at least 50 portalets, a sound system and four paging systems to be located in strategic areas along the route of the procession even as trees have also been trimmed and all the lighting systems have also been checked by city electrician Engr. Ernesto Cuyugan.
Marzan said city-run hospitals and the Manila health department headed by Dr. Benjamin Yson have been alerted for the provison of at least ten ambulance units which will be on standby to attend to possible emergency cases as well as medical teams consisting of doctors, nurses and medical staff which will be assigned in certain strategic areas.
The city engineer’s office, Marzan added, has also been directed to check on the roads that are part of the procession route to ensure that they are free of potholes and open manholes.
As the procession moves, Marzan said personnel from the department of public services have been assigned by its head, ret. Col. Carlos Baltazar, to follow closely, along with a garbage truck, to clean up immediately whatever trash may be left behind by those joining the procession.