Partnership sealed for Peñafrancia celebration

By CHRISTINE KIM VILLAFUERTE

TO ensure a safe, meaningful, and joyful celebration of the upcoming Peñafrancia Festival—the largest Marian celebration in Asia—the City Government of Naga, in partnership with the Archdiocese of Caceres and various government agencies, formally signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the creation of the Joint Operations Center (JOC) on August 18, 2025, at the Our Lady of Peñafrancia Minor Basilica.

The signing was led by Caceres Archbishop Most Rev. Rex Andrew Alarcon and Mayor Maria Leonor G. Robredo, joined by chairpersons and representatives from public and private agencies across Bicol.

The JOC is composed of seven task groups: Public Safety, Traffic Management and Enforcement, Medical and Health, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Public Information, Utilities, and the Fluvial Joint Task Group.

Ahead of the MOA signing, each group presented its plans, courses of action, and concerns to ensure safety, security, and accurate information dissemination during the festivities.

The JOC aims to provide security, emergency response, reliable utilities, organized traffic flow, disaster prevention measures, and timely public information throughout this year’s celebration, which annually draws more than a million devotees, pilgrims, tourists, and guests.

Archbishop Alarcon underscored the value of collaboration, saying: “What is beautiful is that we continue to collaborate in our time in the 21st century. We may be diverse—‘magkakaiba’—yet we strive to synergize, to work together, to be interdependent, so that we may serve our brothers and sisters. Kaya ini, para ki Ina, para sa Divino Rostro, para sa mga tugang nyato.”

Mayor Robredo assured that the City Government of Naga, together with partner agencies, will carry out all necessary steps to achieve a successful, vibrant, and fruitful fiesta celebration.