The celebration of this year’s Paraw Regatta Festival has been moved to April from February.
The event, originally scheduled on Feb. 23-March 1, was postponed because of the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) threat.
The Iloilo City Government and Iloilo Festivals Foundation, Inc. (IFFI) decided to hold the 48th edition of the festival on April 1-5.
Treñas said the postponement aims to ensure the safety of everyone.
Paraw Regatta is considered the oldest traditional craft event in Asia and the largest sailing event in the Philippines.
Recently, the mayor issued an executive order suspending all major public gatherings in the city from Feb. to March to “reduce the exposure and risks of its citizens to COVID-19.”
According to Treñas, he wrote a letter to the Department of Health (DOH-6) to seek its guidance and recommendation on the holding of large public gatherings.
“The DOH-6 replied that it strongly discourages the conduct of [big events] in light of the current situation,” he said.IMT
