This Week in Cebu (January 12 to 18, 2020)

Gearing up for Sinulog Festival 2020? Make sure to get the latest news on Cebu!

By: Peter Parcon | January 12, 2020

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Cebu, travel, things to do, weather, sinulog festival 2020

The clouds and the sun will play a tug-of-war during the week leading to the Sinulog Grand Parade. Due to this, cloudy and sunny weather will take turns dominating the skies over Cebu. To deal with the traffic due to the unpredictable weather and Sinulog week activities, the CCTO will deploy all enforcers throughout the festival's duration. Additionally, a trade fair will also be held by DTI at SM City Cebu to take advantage of the influx of local and international visitors in the city. With a huge number of tourists expected to watch the Sinulog Grand Showdown at the CCSC, organizers will use wristbands with QR codes to prevent the unauthorized sale of tickets for the grandstand. Read on for the details.

Weather: Erratic weather ahead

Visitors during the Sinulog week should prepare their rain gear since the weather will be a good mix of sun and rain. Expect a morning shower on Sunday and overcast skies for the rest of the day. Even as the sun will peek out from behind the clouds on Monday, the gloomy weather will return on Tuesday. Wednesday will see some slight improvement as the sun and clouds play hide-and-seek throughout the day. This weather condition will continue until the end of the week. The day before the Sinulog Grand Parade will see sunny weather dominating the skies of Cebu. Temperatures for the week will range from 21°C up to 31°C [1].

Traffic News: Enforcers ready for Sinulog

All Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) personnel will be deployed for the Sinulog festivities starting on January 9, most of whom will be positioned close to the Basilica del Sto. Niño. Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella gave this instruction to Alma Barandog-Casimero, CCTO officer-in-charge. The full deployment of CCTO personnel will last until the Sinulog Grand Parade on January 19. A list of no-parking zones, which includes the six-kilometer route of the grand parade, will also be released by the office. Vehicles caught parking in these areas will be towed or clamped. Moreover, the mayor will monitor the traffic enforcers to ensure they are in their assigned areas [2].

Travel Updates

MCIA parallel runway project update

The contract for the parallel runway of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport will be awarded soon. The property where the PhP2-billion secondary runway will be built is currently occupied by the Mactan Economic Zone. While the lowest bid came from the consortium of China Construction First Group Corporation and Duros Development Corporation, the project has technically yet to be awarded. Groundbreaking for phase 1 of the project is set in the middle of January.

The MCIA is the second busiest airport in the country and can handle up to 12.5 million passengers annually. Passenger volume has been gradually increasing over the years; third-quarter passenger traffic and air traffic volume in 2019 have increased by 10 percent and 6 percent, respectively [3].

Wristband tickets prepared for Sinulog

To deter the unauthorized sale of grandstand tickets for the Sinulog, organizers will be using wristbands with QR codes for the tickets this year. In the past, the audience in the grandstand seemed more than the number of tickets printed by the Sinulog Foundation Inc. (SFI). The cause seems to be purchased tickets from unauthorized sellers. To prevent this, the wristbands will be scanned once ticket holders enter the Cebu City Sports Complex (CCSC). Moreover, the wristband tickets will be color-coded so spectators will easily find their seats. Tickets will be available at the SFI office at the CCSC [4].

January 16 opening of the Sinulog Fiesta Fair

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is set to launch the Sinulog Fiesta Fair on January 16. The fair will feature micro-enterprises that are part of the One Town, One Product and the Kapatid Mentor Me programs of the DTI. DTI Provincial Chief Marivic Aguilar said the sellers are new to bazaars and trade fairs. Moreover, they will benefit from the exposure in the market. The trade fair will last for 11 days and will be held at the Atrium of SM City Cebu. The products offered at the fair include decors, gift items, fashion accessories, souvenir items, and processed food. Beneficiaries of the GREAT Women Project 2 of the DTI will also participate in the trade fair [5].