OVER 8,000 devotees lined up along the streets and gathered at the National Shrine of Saint Joseph (NSSJ) during the Traslacion in Mandaue City, Friday, January 19.
Superintendent Jimmy Aguisanda, deputy city director for operations of Mandaue City Police Office, said no untoward incident happened by the time the Señor Santo Niño and Our Lady of Guadalupe reached A. S. Fortuna Street up to the NSSJ.
“It was generally peaceful,” said Aguisanda.
City Mayor Gabriel Luis Quisumbing together with Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna received the religious icons from Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña in Barangay Banilad in Mandaue.
Residents, company employees, students and devotees waved their flaglets, offered flowers and danced the Sinulog steps when the religious icons passed their area.
Around 370 police personnel, barangay tanods and force multipliers were deployed to secure the Traslacion route, NSSJ grounds and the motorcade to Lapu-Lapu City for the seaborne procession on Saturday, January 20.
After the Santo Niño and Our Lady of Guadalupe arrived in NSSJ around 9 a.m., a concelebrated mass led by Msgr. Daniel Sanico was held.
In his homily, Sanico said that the exercise of humility and obedience was seen during the Traslacion.
“Ang Santo Niño gitawag nga hari nga gamay... Kung kita maoy hari kita maoy labing suloguon sa tanan. Kung gusto ta dako kinahanglan kita maoy labing gamay. Mao ba kini atong concept of leadership? Basin atong concept of leadership kay honor, power, authority. Di tingali na mahimo nga hari nga gamay (The Santo Niño is called the small king. A king usually has a lot of tasks. If we want to become a leader, we must act with humility. Is this the concept of leadership we have? Or is it about honor, power and authority? With that, you don’t act just like the Holy Child),” said Sanico.
Due to rain and heavy traffic related to the Sinulog activities today, Quisumbing ordered the cancellation of classes in pre-school, elementary and high school.
The mayor also decided to shorten the office work at 2 p.m. today to give the employees a chance to attend the religious activities and to avoid being stranded on the road due to heavy traffic.
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