‘Zero-crime’ parade

By NITZ ARANCON, Correspondent

300,000 flock to city proper for Oro’s biggest fiesta event

THERE was nothing but merrymaking as the thousands of revelers flocked to the streets of downtown Cagayan de Oro to take part in the biggest parade in the city this year.

All morning, all eyes were on the Higalaay parade of floats and icons staged on the eve of the feast of St. Augustine, the predominantly Roman Catholic city’s patron saint.

Police claimed that not a single crime committed during the four and a half-hour parade was reported or documented. City police director Senior Supt. Faro Antonio Olaguera said some 300 people took part and watched the parade organized by city hall.

Mayor Oscar Moreno spearheaded the parade that started from the Rodelsa Circle and ended at the Limketkai center after snaking through Don Apolinar Velez St. and CM Recto Avenue.

This year’s newly crowned Miss Cagayan de Oro, 22-year old Charina Barro of Barangay Nazareth, and other winners in the just-concluded pageant were also paraded.

Various public and private schools, barangays, non-government organizations, and civic groups, among others, sent their respective delegations.

For the nth time, the float of Concentrix Corp. bested other floats, and the firm bagged a P100-thousand prize given by Moreno. International Phamaceutical Inc.’s float placed second, and the firm bagged a P70-thousand prize. The United Architects of the Philippines received P50 thousand for their float that won third place.

Senior Supt. Olaguera said he was happy because from 7 am to 11:30 am, the city proper was relatively peaceful and orderly amid the merrymaking.

“There was no paradeelated crime or untoward incident reported to us,” he said. Police have been on red alert in the city since Friday last week over a “terror threat” based on intelligence information. The city police fielded security forces, many wearing plain clothes, to the streets of downtown Cagayan de Oro as early as 5 am. They were augmented by officers from Camp Alagar and soldiers from Camp Evangelista.

Police also used bomb-sniffing dogs as part of security measures while bomb experts and members of the local Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) and other elite police units were ready to respond to calls for emergency. Olaguera said various barangay police groups, reservists, criminology students, and communication and civic groups helped in keeping the parade peaceful and orderly.

He said the security plan would be carried out today, the fiesta day, and the measures would be in place even after today’s revelries.