Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada has ordered a 24-hour liquor ban during
the Feast of the Black Nazarene on Friday, January 9, and the repair of
at least six damaged roads that pose a threat to the safety of the
devotees.
Estrada made the announcement yesterday in a joint press briefing in
Quiapo with representatives of concerned agencies in preparation for
Friday’s Traslacion 2015.
In a separate interview, City Administrator Ericson “Jojo” Alcovendaz
said the liquor ban will take effect on midnight of January 8 and will
continue up to midnight of January 9.
The same liquor ban will be enforced in the whole city during the papal visit on January 15 to 19, according to Estrada.
Repair works have begun on the following roads after they were deemed
dangerous to passing devotees following an ocular inspection made by
the city engineer’s office: Hidalgo, Bilibid Viejo, Sergio Loyola,
Recto, Quezon Boulevard, and Aguila streets.
The city electrician has also started repairing low-hanging wire
cables in the streets that will be covered by the procession route.
Every 9 January, the Traslación of the Black Nazarene makes its way
along the streets of the Quiapo district, with attendees reaching up to
millions. In recent years, the processional route was altered due to a
rise in vehicular and stampede accidents, to afford other neighborhoods
off the traditional route a chance to participate, and because of
structural deficiencies in bridges along the route. On January 9, the image of the Black Nazarene will pass through the
following roads: from Quirino Grandstand to Katigbak Drive thru P.
Burgos, left to Taft Ave. to Jones Bridge, right to Escolta, right to
Palanca passing under Quezon Bridge, left to Quezon Blvd., right to
Arlegui, right to Fraternal, right to Vergara to Duque de Alba, left to
Castillejos, left to Farnecio, right to Arlegui, left to Nepomuceno
(counter-flow), left to Aguila, right to Carcer, right to Hidalgo thru
Plaza del Carmen, left to Bilibid Viejo thru Puyat, left to Guzman,
right to Hidalgo, left to Bautista (Barbosa), right to Globo de Oro
passing under Quezon Bridge, right to Palanca, right to Villalobos and
finally, Quiapo church.
The whole route is estimated at 5.96 kilometers.
Manila Police District (MPD) officials have pledged to deploy a
sufficient number of policemen during the event that will be augmented
with personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), from the
four Philippine National Police (PNP) districts in NCR and force
multipliers from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)
such as the barangay peacekeeping action team, barangay security
officers and civilian volunteers.
The authorities reminded devotees that the route has been diverted to
Jones bridge instead of MacArthur bridge due to the latter’s limited
loading capacity.
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Regional Director for
NCR Reynaldo Tagudando said the present load limit of MacArthur Bridge
is pegged at five tons per axle and would not be able to sustain the
whole line of devotees.
The Victory Lacson underpass will also be closed on January 9 but an
elevated structure will be constructed to allow devotees to pass through
Quezon Boulevard to the other side during the feast of the Black
Nazarene. Operators of the Victory Lacson underpass will also sponsor
the installation of portalets on the day of the event.
Estrada also signed an executive order declaring the suspension of
classes in Manila and work in city government offices on January 9.
Meanwhile, Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez is appealing to
Black Nazarene devotees to observe discipline to ensure an orderly and
safe procession this Friday and focus on making the Feast of Black
Nazarene as a day of national unity.
