CEBU CITY – The Mactan Channel will be closed to vessel traffic for at least six hours to give way to a fluvial procession here on Saturday, January 20.
The fluvial procession is part of the major celebration of the 459th Fiesta Señor.
Coast Guard Commander Mark Larsen Mariano, deputy commander of the Coast Guard District in Central Visayas, said the Mactan Channel will be closed from 3 a.m. to 9 a.m. to ensure the smooth flow of the fluvial procession.
As of Thursday, January 18, 201 marine vessels have registered to join the fluvial procession.
The fluvial procession is a reenactment of the arrival of the image of the Child Jesus in Cebu in 1521.
Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan set foot on the island and presented the image as a gift to Reyna Juana, the wife of Rajah Humabon.
Mariano said 137 motor bancas, 30 merchant vessels, 24 tugboats, six yachts, three aluminum boats, and one speed boat have signified intention to join the procession.
The procession will start from Lapu-Lapu City and will end at Pier 1 in Cebu City.
For the first time, this year’s procession will feature the Sagrada Familia as organizers have decided to include the image of Saint Joseph from the National Shrine of Saint Joseph in Mandaue City.
The M/V Martin 8, a commercial roll-on, roll-off cargo ship from Maayo Shipping Corp., will serve as the galleon for the upcoming sea-borne parade.