MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte – Merry May will no longer be merry as fiestas to be held on this month or any month under COVID-19 will no longer be celebrated, here.
Even Barangay days and anniversaries in this city have been canceled for the entire month of May as a precautionary measure against the continuing threat of the coronavirus disease (COVID-2019).
Even the home of the Mercados (Congressman Roger, Governor Damian, and Mayor Nacional) usually teeming with people, they may be poor or rich during fiesta will not have visitors on this last Saturday of April where their Abgao village in Poblacion celebrates the feast of St. Vicente Ferrer. Not even a sign to indicate that it was fiesta day in the said barangay can be seen.
Those who received Special Amelioration Program (SAP) would have wished to hold a simple fiesta celebration, but the City Inter-Agency Task Force decided to cancel big events, mass gatherings, including the celebration of fiestas to prevent the spread of the virus.
And in line with the IATF decision, Mayor Nacional Mercado issued an advisory to forego fiesta celebrations this May and any gatherings that would gather large number of attendees.
“Ug naa kita’y kwarta or gi-andam nga baboy, ato nalaman kini en donate sa simbahan or sa atong pobreng kaigsuonan imbis nga e gasto sa atong gusto,” Mercado advised.
The month of May is the so-called ‘fiesta season’ in Maasin, where more barangays celebrate their feast day.
A fiesta is primarily a Catholic celebration that honors the feast day of the patron saint of a barangay/municipality and is mostly celebrated through festive atmosphere with food and drinks offered free by hosts.
Mercado cited the Department of Health advisory issued by Secretary Francisco Duque III, which stated that with the ongoing threat of COVID-19, the public is strongly urged to avoid attending, participating, and organizing events that draw huge crowds. /rcg