City council approves signal shutdown for Dinagyang 2023

By John Noel E. Herrera

The Iloilo City Council approved a resolution allowing the temporary shutdown of telecommunication signals during the highlights of the Dinagyang Festival on Jan 21 and 22, 2023.

In its regular session on Wednesday, Jan 11, 2023, the council unanimously approved the resolution requesting the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to jam mobile phone signals in some areas of the city.

The resolution stated that the temporary signal shutdown would affect some areas in the City Proper district from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Jan 21 to 22, 2023.

Specifically, the signal jam will cover the areas of Freedom Grandstand, Plaza Libertad, Plazoleta Gay, Iloilo Provincial Capitol, Delgado and Quezon-Ledesma streets, and Iloilo Central Market to PHINMA-University of Iloilo, where the highlights of tribe competition, Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan, and food festival will take place.

Signal jamming will also affect some areas of Mandurriao district from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Jan 21 for the Dinagyang Ilomination and Floats Parade of Lights.

These areas include portions of SM City Iloilo, Atria, and Megaworld Business District as these will serve as the venues and judging areas of the new event for this year’s Dinagyang Festival.

Councilor Romel Duron, chairman of the committee on transportation and public utilities, also said in an interview after the session that the move was for the safety of everybody and he hoped that the public would understand it.

“Ever since ang concern ara gid na ya kay bisan ang kapulisan, hindi na 100 percent sure nga wala sang matabo. Kapin pa subong with the advanced technology, actually hindi lang cellphone, pero at least para ma-minimize ang risk,” Duron said.

“Ang aton ginatan-aw di, ang kabilugan, hindi lang ang imo personal convenience ang gina tan-aw da, but for the protection of everyone. This is not the first time, actually gin limit pa gani naton ang coverage kay sang una bilog gid na nga city, subong portions lang in a limited time,” he added.

During a committee hearing conducted by the city council in December 2022, it was noted that the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) had requested the signal jamming of mobile phones to ensure the safety of the public and strengthen the security measures of the authorities.

The city council had also earlier noted that signal jamming was already been part of the security measures during the celebration, as the city is expecting many guests, including First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos who has already confirmed her attendance.

Meanwhile, the ICPO said that it already planned security strategies and preparations and will deploy police personnel to different areas of the city.

Police will also enforce an 11-day gun ban starting from Jan 13 to 23, 2023.

“We are almost all set with our safety plan and starting Friday (Jan 13 Dinagyang Opening Salvo), we will establish our border control and conduct checkpoint operations outside and in between the municipalities of Oton, Pavia, and Leganes,” Police Lieutenant Colonel Rene Obregon said.

ICPO spokesperson Major Shella Mae Sangrines said that the Police Regional Office (PRO)-6 is set to send around 2,000 personnel to help maintain peace and order during the festival.