CEBU, Philippines - Organizers of the March 20 presidential debate have vowed improvements to the format, including giving the presidential candidates time to ask their opponents a particular question and having shorter commercial breaks.

Gregg Lloren, UP Cebu faculty member and grounds/event manager for the Visayas debate, told The FREEMAN that the changes would “spice up” the whole event and make it different from the Mindanao leg.

“The new format includes one candidate asking one question from the other candidate. That will raise the temperature to the roofs. That is why I declined to provide seats for the supporters. It could go hot for each side,” Lloren said.

He said airtime of the presidential debate would be around two hours long with less commercial breaks.

As for the setup, UP Cebu installed two bleachers that have a sitting capacity of 620 each borrowed from the Lapu-Lapu City government and are installed at the school grounds.

“Total is 1500 (people). It will have a canopy to protect the people from sunlight,” Lloren aid.

The bleachers were recently used during the 51st International Eucharistic Congress at the South Road Properties and the Kadaugan sa Mactan celebration.

Lloren said security-mapping was also established as well as a program at the school grounds that would be fed through on-line streaming. The UP Performing Arts Hall where the debate would be.

The debate area, however, is by invitation only by the Commission on Elections and Channel 5 and would be available to only to 1,500 persons.

“We have already sent invitations to 20 major schools in Cebu for 30 representatives each for a total of 600. The rest or the remaining 900 will be raffled off in events we are organizing prior to March 20,” Lloren added.

He added that the grounds event is an initiative of UP Cebu with the help of Channel 5 and is not of the main organizers of the event.

To promote the Visayas debate, Lloren said they have a Facebook page called “Wise UP Cebu page” that gives update and announcements online.

“We have just announced one event where people can attend and have a chance to win passes. We will also have trivia games online with time, dates, and topic,” he said.

UP Cebu would also send invitations for non-government organizations and special interest groups to join the school grounds event, which is intended to educate the people.

“That is why the main element of the grounds event is a TED Talk on some issues connected to the debate. Audience can also have the chance to voice out their reaction during the commercial breaks,” Lloren said.

Interactive booths would also be installed at the UP grounds, allowing people to voice out their opinion on the coming elections.

“There will be a booth with a video camera… The video will have a chance to be shown on the widescreen for people to react too,” he said.

Cultural presentations such as Tinikling and Ati-atihan will be presented also.

Meanwhile, Deputy Regional Director for operations Rey Lyndon Lawas said he will bring the concern on road closure before UP Cebu’s officials during their next meeting if there is a need.

He said he already informed the Cebu City Police Office to coordinate with the Cebu City Traffic Office if there is a need for the closure of a portion of Gorordo Avenue, particularly that fronting UP.

“We’ll see with the traffic if there will be road closure pero sa tan-aw nako there is no need for re-routing. Maghuwat ta sa recommendation. When will have our next meeting, usa na sa akong ikuan sa ilaha,” Lawas said.

“There might be a need to close the road but we will leave it up to the expert,” he added.

Lawas said only those who are invited will be allowed to enter within the perimeter of the UP Cebu Performing Arts Hall, where the debate would be held.

Lawas said UP Cebu and TV 5 are going to facilitate the conduct of the debate while their role is to secure the area.

Earlier, Chief Inspector David Señor, CCPO operation’s chief, said the other day they were now “60 percent ready” for the presidential debate. CCPO will provide area security during the debate.

He said it is just “60 percent” because they have yet to know the itineraries of presidential candidates Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, Senator Grace Poe, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, and former Department of Interior and Local Government secretary Mar Roxas. (FREEMAN)