No Call Or Text And Mobile Data During The Sinulog Festival 2017

Sinulog Festival 2017 
is already here
and the threats to the success
of the celebration
are clear and not to be ignored.

Bambi Cooking Oil across Fuente Osmeña Circle with its spot during the Sinulog Festival

​First is the bad weather
that has been plaguing Cebu
and the rest of the Philippines
ever since last year.
The rains make it a little harder
for Catholic devotees 
to attend Holy Masses 
at the Basilica Minore Del Santo Niño De Cebu
because they will be mostly standing or sitting
on wet grounds and bleachers.
And some parts of the downtown area of Cebu
have no clear drainage system
that's why canal waters overflow 
even with moderate rains.

Sponsor banners for the Sinulog Festival 2017 abound in the streets of Cebu City.

​But the bigger and more serious threat
to the success of the Festival 
is the threat of terrorism
especially when it comes to bomb attacks.
Terrorists usually use cell phones or smartphones
to trigger explosion of the bombs
as evident in the findings of the authorities
after thorough investigations
of the bomb explosions in the past.
That's why as part of the security measures
during the Sinulog Festivities,
signals from all the cellular networks
will be blocked starting January 14, 2017
up to January 15, 2017
in Cebu City, Talisay, Minglanilla,
Mandaue City, Consolacion, Liloan,
Lapu-Lapu City and Cordova.
Local and foreign tourists
and Catholic devotees
usually go out a lot on these dates 
​than on the previous days.
Calls and texts and mobile data
will be disabled on these dates.
One can tell right away 
how hard this is
when meeting up or sending important messages
whether it be business or personal.
Everyone at these dates
will rely on landline phones
and the internet, except on mobile data,
for communication.

There are a lot of complaints already
about this signal blocking
but everyone has to remember always
that it's for the good of all.
And two days without call and text and mobile data
is not too long 
for everyone who thinks of his safety
during the Sinulog Festival 2017.

Inside the Basilica Minore Del Santo Niño De Cebu is filled with the sponsor banners for the Sinulog Festival 2017.