The city government will discuss the possible activities to commemorate the 35th year of the Kadayawan sa Dabaw festival.
Mayor Sara Duterte issued Executive Order No. 25 on Friday, declaring a period of mourning and vigilance in Davao City until December 31 this year. The said festival is celebrated every third week of August.
Under the executive order, all city and national government celebrations, parties, anniversaries, and festivities are canceled.
“We’ll see if there are activities that we can do. But of course, we still have a (thanksgiving) mass. Because Kadayawan is all about thanksgiving for the blessings by Manama (supreme being) for Davao City,” she said.
However, the Indak-Indak, floral parade, street parties, and concerts won’t push through.
The city mayor also reminded the private sector to modify their celebrations, as well.
“Because if they will insist on one big celebration, we will exercise our option to file a restraining order,” she said.
The newly issued executive order states that “the city government shall file actions in cases of thoughtless extravagance in expenses for pleasure or display.”
Duterte said August will still fall under the period of state of calamity. “Our state of calamity will end in September. Let us be mindful that it is not good that while we are having our own celebration there are still those people who are hungry watching us, as well,” she said.
She also said that the existing order still does not include the instructions from the medical specialists.
“This (order) is just our (way) to imbibe an atmosphere for the next eight months in consideration to the efforts of the people and the people who died of what we need to do. This still does not include the control measures because I think the doctors will still ask that there should be no mass gathering (in the city,” Duterte said.
“Even if we are no longer mourning, we will still reach that point of not having no celebration because not having mass gathering is the basic requirement of the doctors to prevent the opportunity of the virus (COVID-19) from spreading,” she added.
