More than 300 vehicles are joining a festive Para Kay Leni caravan in Bacolod City, which will include drumbeaters and MassKara dancers, on Saturday, October 23, organizers said Thursday.
Participants are urged to wear pink.
The caravan in support of Vice President Leni Robredo’s run for the presidency is being organized by the Laban Leni Negros Occidental volunteers, LLNO spokesperson Pinky Mirano-Ocampo said.
They are appealing for patience and support, especially from commuters who will be affected by the volume of participants, Ocampo said in a press release.
They did not expect the big number of sign-ups for the caravan, which as of Thursday reached more than 300 vehicles plus about 60 tricycles and pedicabs joining the caravan near the end of the route, she said.
“We are expecting more as we have been notified by supporters from the north and south of the province that they will join us. We are aware that we might be creating traffic jams along our route so we are appealing to commuters to avoid the route from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday,” Ocampo said.
They have secured the necessary permits from the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) and the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO), she said.
The caravan will take off at exactly 10 a.m. from Costa Brava in Talisay City and will turn left at Brgy. Bata in Bacolod, turn right at the Circumferential Road, turn right at McDo East towards Burgos Street, then turn left at Lacson Street all the way to Magsaysay Street, before turning right towards Araneta Street, the press release said.
The caravan will slow down along Araneta Street to allow supporters from the south, who will converge across the old Bacolod airport, to join them. They will then proceed towards the Bacolod Public Plaza, turning left at the San Sebastian Cathedral, towards SM City Bacolod where they will meet up with the bikers, trike and pedicab drivers who will assemble at the Pope John Paul II Shrine, it added.
The group will turn right towards Burgos Street, passing the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, then turn left at Lacson Street before turning left again at the South Capitol Road which will be the end of the caravan route.
Ocampo said that supporters were advised that this will strictly be a moving caravan and everyone will disperse without stopping at the end of the route.*