P30-M ginastos sa Quirino Grandstand (Para sa Papal events)

UMABOT sa P30 million ang halaga na ginastos ng Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH) kaugnay sa ginawang altar at pag-repair sa Quirino grandstand kung saan magsasagawa ng misa si Pope Francis sa bansa.

Ayon kay DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson, nasa P30 million ang ginastos ng DPWH para sa kanilang ginawang pagsasaayos sa Quirino grandstand.

Giit ni Singson tinapos nitong Enero 11 ang itinayong altar sa Quirino grandstand.

Aminado ang kalihim na medyo pressure sa kanilang mga tauhan ang pagtatapos sa altar na gamitin ng Santo Papa sa isasagawa niyang misa.

Papal Visit Update

Gov’t limits crowd at Quirino Grandstand papal mass to 700,000

by Aaron B. Recuenco

More Filipinos will have a chance to get near Pope Francis – and even take selfies with him – when he officiates mass in Manila and Leyte as the government decided to divide the two sites into quadrants to enable the Pontiff to make rounds and be as close as possible to Filipino Roman Catholic devotees.

Under this arrangement, the crowd estimate in front of the Quirino Grandstand will be limited to 700,000 people, including dignitaries and other VIPs who will occupy the area below the grandstand where the Pope Francis would officiate mass.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas said the idea behind the plan is to put order at the two mass sites – Quirino Grandstand and near the Tacloban City airport – where millions of people are expected to flock, what with the lessons learned from past papal visits.

“Through this, more people will have the chance to get near the Pope because there will be aisles where the Pope could freely move,” Roxas said in a meeting with representatives of various media entities where he presented the security plan.

In Tacloban City, the crowd estimate is 140,000 people.

Roxas was quick to clarify that they will not prevent people from going to the mass sites once every quadrant is occupied, saying those who will not have the chance to go inside will be allowed to stay outside the barricaded area and hear mass through television monitors.

FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED

Based on the government plan at the Quirino Grandstand, the only entrance will be the Orosa Street side wherein 20 gates equipped with scanners and metal detectors would be set up.

“We will continue to allow the people to go inside until all the quadrants are occupied,” said Roxas.

Aside from scanners and metal detectors, Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, the Philippine National Police officer-in-charge, said policemen will also check the small bags and other items of those who will be allowed entry.

Director Carmelo Valmoria, head of the National Capital Region Police Office, said the gates will be opened at 6 a.m. on Sunday. The mass at the Quirino Grandstand is scheduled at 3:30 p.m.

END POINTS

Director Ricardo Marquez, head of the Directorate for Operations, advised the public to come early at the Quirino Grandstand due to the number of people who are expected to arrive as early as Saturday.

He said that vehicles of attendees coming from the South may use the drop-off point at the corner of Roxas Boulevard and Quirino Avenue and walk their way to the venue.

For those coming from the east, their vehicles will not be allowed entry beyond UN Avenue corner San Marcelino and Ayala corner San Marcelino.

“Vehicles of attendees from Quiapo and Recto areas shall not be allowed to cross the Jones, McArthur and Quezon Bridges,” said Marquez.

MASS TRANSPORT

As such, Roxas advised the public planning to go to Rizal Park to park their vehicles near other LRT stations and take the LRT instead.

It was learned that the Quirino Station of LRT will be closed from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday. The same station will be closed most of the times at the span of Pope visit.

On January 15, all LRT stations are open, except the Quirino Station from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. The station will also be closed from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. on January 16.

On January 17, all stations are open, except for Quirino Station from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. On January 19, all stations are open, except for Quirino Station again from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m.

“There will be no embarking and disembarking Quirino Station,” the government advisory read.

NAIA OPERATIONS

On January 15, the scheduled Pope arrival, NAIA will be closed to arriving aircraft from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.

“Departures are allowed depending on aircraft turnaround,” the advisory read.

In Tacloban airport where the Pope is scheduled to be present on January 17, landing and take off are suspended from 7:45 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. and from 5:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., aircraft movement on ground will not be allowed.

On Pope’s departure on Monday morning, NAIA will be closed to arriving aircraft although departure will be allowed depending on aircraft turnaround.

Roxas then advised airline passengers to come early in the airport at the span of Pope visit, saying some roads leading to the airport will be closed.

NO FLY, SAIL ZONES

Transportation Secretary Jun Abaya said the Philipine Coast Guard will be implementing  no-sail zones at the Manila Bay, especially on Sunday.

“The Philippine Coast Guard will be deploying 42 assets who will not allow any bancas, leisure yachts to the side of the papal visit,” said Abaya.

While they will allow the Manila port to continuously operate, he said all incoming and outgoing vessels will be checked and escorted by Coast Guard personnel.

“All ships coming in will be screened,” he said.

The no-fly zone, he said, will be three nautical miles radius and 18,000 altitude.

The same policy will be implemented in Tacloban and Palo areas, although the radius will be 10 nautical miles.

NO DRONES PLEASE

Roxas then appealed to the media entities to refrain from using drones for Pope coverage, saying violators will be arrested and fined.

Abaya said the fine ranges from P300,000 to P500,000.

http://www.mb.com.ph/govt-limits-crowd-at-quirino-grandstand-papal-mass-to-700000/

LUNETA MASS-GOERS, TAKE NOTE | DOH ambulances will be on Taft Avenue, some 500 meters away

By: Ernie Reyes, InterAksyon.com
January 13, 2015 5:00 PMBesides the Red Cross teams, LGU command centers and diocesan volunteer medics, the Department of Health is deploying ambulances for emergencies during the papal mass at Luneta on Sunday (Jan. 18) afternoon, but here's the problem: the ambulances will be posted on Taft Avenue about half a kilometer away.

The reason for this: ambulances won't be able to quickly get out of the thickly crowded areas if they are stationed too close to the Quirino grandstand; and if they are in fact needed to ferry people to hospitals, the patient would have to be rushed by stretcher to the ambulance.

Nonetheless,  authorities assured the public there will be medical teams -- from DOH, Red Cross and from volunteer health workers recruited by the dioceses -- posted to cover major and minor ailments of people, who will be let into the papal mass area by quadrants of 1,000 persons each.

In an interview, Dr. Teodoro Herbosa, who represented the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital at the Tapatan media forum at the Aristocrat Restaurant Monday, said the DOH is putting up about 20 medical stations.

These stations are on top of the contingents from the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC), Catholic dioceses, which have their own tents and medical personnel, and volunteer groups, who will also put up their respective first aid stations in all venues of Pope Francis' activities from Jan. 15-19.

“We are putting up about 20 medical stations plus Red Cross and plus Catholic dioceses... They have hospitals and doctors and private volunteers," who, he explained, can often deal with emergencies on-site such as people fainting or suffering asthma attacks or high blood pressure.

These teams will all be fielded around the Quirino grandstand where the Pope will celebrate Mass at 3pm.

 However, Herbosa said that the ambulances needed for “life-threatening” situations will be stationed along Taft Avenue.

“You put the ambulances on the periphery so there is ingress and egress, so you've to put these outside the periphery, most likely on Taft Avenue. It's really quite a distance,” Herbosa said. The distance has been estimated about 50 meters.

Still, authorities hope whatever emergencies arise can be dealt with on-site by the medical stations within the periphery of the venue, including command centers of various law enforcement agencies, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and the Red Cross and church volunteers -- without need of rushing people on stretchers over the heads of a thick crowd, all the way to the DOH ambulances.

Important reminder: look for medics' flags

“Every station has its own medical flag," Herbosa said, and advised those with certain chronic ailments, say asthma, to check in with these stations before taking their spot in the mass, so they know which station has the kind of medicine they may need.

Meanwhile, Herbosa, considered an expert in medical emergencies, said that all attendees should prepare for all eventualities, including stampedes during the papal mass.  

“Para dito sa pagdalaw ng Santo Papa, ang payo natin ang lahat ng tao maghanda, hindi lamang ang pamahalaaan, dapat naghahanda,  hindi lamang ang mga doctor, mga pulis, mga sundalo,  dapat po ang lahat ng mamamayan na lalahok at pupunta sa aktibidad ay maghanda rin,” he said.

Among his suggestions are:

1.       Go in groups – Hire a bus going to Luneta or any event, designate a particular time and place of departure.

2.       Be fit to walk – Attendees should assess themselves beforehand, if they are fit for a long and slow walk.

3.       Personal Chores – Attendees should make necessary preparations before going to Luneta, especially bathroom rituals, since portalets are not enough for 5-6 million people. 

4.       Food and Drinks – Bring your own, there are no vendors around.

5.       Medicines and other maintenance drugs – Bring them too such as next two doses for hypertensives, diabetics and the like.

6.       Common sense – Don’t bring valuables and gadgets since signals may be blocked during the mass.

7.       One Child/One Adult policy – Strictly enforce one child for every adult to avoid lost kids and elderly.

8.       Emergency exits – Always remember the nearest and possible emergency exits in any eventualities. If you happen to be in a high-density or crowded place, step back a few meters and go to a spot where there are fewer people.

9.       Concrete barriers and steel fences – Don’t’ cross over, you will be apprehended by authorities.

10.   Obey signs, rules and regulations – Obey them, it will help you a lot to be safe and secure.

11.   No horse-playing, pushing – Don’t play around and push anyone to avoid commotions and stampedes.  

Herbosa asked the public to understand that this is not like a fiesta or party where one can walk around any time he/she wants.

“Number 2, please don't push; the risk of stampede rises with more people. If you feel you're being crushed, step back, look for a less crowded spot."

The usual cause of death in a stampede, he said, is when people feel crushed and cannot breath. "It's important not to be hemmed in. Remember the exit route, there is a barricade for each quadrant, so remember the entry route and emergency route, in case of trouble,” he added.http://www.interaksyon.com/article/102913/luneta-mass-goers-take-note--doh-ambulances-will-be-on-taft-avenue-some-500-meters-away