SAN Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora issued guidelines for the “Basaan” or Dousing of Water at the Wattah Wattah San Juan Festival 2024, among which will be a limited number of firetrucks that will be used.
According to Zamora, in preparation for the much-anticipated Wattah Wattah San Juan Festival on June 24, 2024, the LGU issued Executive Order No. FMZ-173, where the city will implement several measures to ensure that the traditional “Basaan,” or dousing of water, is conducted responsibly.
He said that the measures come in the wake of recent weather updates from the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) indicating a shift from El Niño to ENSO-neutral conditions, with a possible transition to La Niña by the third quarter of 2024.
“PAGASA has already announced the beginning of the rainy season. However, water levels at our dams have not yet recovered to normal levels, so we believe that we should continue our efforts for water conservation while allowing religious and cultural practices, albeit with water conservation in mind,” Mayor Zamora said.
One of the guidelines Mayor Zamora is expected to announce is the limitation on fire trucks at the festival parade. Only three fire trucks will be permitted to participate in the Basaan parade.
“These must be official San Juan fire trucks or volunteer fire trucks registered with the 2024 Wattah Wattah Festival Organizing Committee,” he said.
A turnover of an image of St. John the Baptist to San Juan City Hall was done on Tuesday, by the St. John the Baptist Parish Priest, Fr. Mike Kalaw, highlighting the religious, historical and cultural significance of the festival.
The ‘basaan’ is an important religious and tourism attraction in the city as it symbolizes the baptism of Jesus Christ by St. John the Baptist,” said Mayor Zamora. However, Mayor Zamora also underscores that the city continues to be one with the country’s efforts in water conservation.
Meanwhile, the parade route has been predetermined, and citizens are encouraged to view the parade from this route and actively participate in the festivities.
The traditional Basaan will only be allowed from 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM on June 24, 2024, ensuring that water usage is minimized.
A dedicated enforcement team composed of the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Traffic and Parking Management Office, Public Order and Safety Office, Task Force Disiplina, and all Barangay Officials will be responsible for strictly implementing these guidelines during the festival.
“To conserve water during our festival, we have decided to limit the number of fire trucks participating in the Basaan parade. This is an essential step in our ongoing efforts to address water scarcity. We urge everyone to follow the guidelines strictly. Our goal is to balance tradition with our responsibility to conserve water, ensuring a sustainable future for our community,” Mayor Zamora added.
The Wattah Wattah San Juan Festival will include the Santong Tao Floats and the image of St. John the Baptist in the parade. Priests from the church will also be joining the parade to bless our people with holy water along the parade route in what the city calls Basbasan sa Makabagong San Juan.
Banner photo courtesy: PNA
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