By ERWIN MASCARIÑAS
Correspondent
BUTUAN City – Authorities are stepping up security measures here as they expect a crowd of 400 thousand to take part in the week-long Kahimunan Festival that would culminate on the annual feast of the Sto. Niño on Sunday.
Msgr. Roel Lasco of the Sto. Niño Diocesan Shrine in Barangay Libertad here said organizers expect a much bigger celebration this year, noting that city hall, through the City Tourism Office, set aside funds for the festival, including the Grand Kahimunan Street Dancing competition prizes.
Church officials said over 400 thousand people are expected to take part in the festival activities that started Friday last week and flock at the church grounds in Libertad this week.
“As we celebrate our 34 years of festive religious celebration, we are expecting more people to come until Sunday,” he said.
Lasco said church leaders have noted an increasing trend during the festival here in the last five years, and the number of devotees is expected to be bigger this week because religious devotees from other parts of Mindanao opt to visit Butuan instead of Cebu that has its annual Sinulog festival.
Lt. Abel Mutia Bulawan, Butuan City Police Office spokesman, said 805 officers would be deployed to the city streets during the Kahimunan celebration on Sunday.
He said the security measures have been stepped up since Friday last week, and “we will have more police personnel in the area, securing the different activities towards the culmination of the festivity on Sunday.”
Bulawan said other government and nongovernment organizations were helping the police in their operations.
