SEA Games creative director confirms 'standard practice' pre-taped cauldron lighting

MANILA, Philippines — The creative director of the opening ceremony of the 30th Southeast Asian Games confirmed that the lighting of the cauldron was pre-taped.

The scene where torchbearers Manny Pacquiao and Nesthy Petecio lit the P50-million cauldron was only streamed during the live opening ceremony at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan last Saturday.

Creative director Floy Quintos confirmed that the torchbearers taped the lighting ceremony at the New Clark City athletics stadium in Tarlac days before the opening ceremony.

"It's a standard practice. In many, many countries where the weather is inclement... you have to be prepared," Quintos told ABS-CBN's "Early Edition" Tuesday.

Quintos said both the Filipino and foreign teams working on the opening ceremony agreed to record the cauldron lighting due to the unpredictable weather.

Typhoon Tisoy (international name Kammuri) entered Philippine area of responsibility Saturday afternoon just as the opening ceremony for the SEA Games was about to kick off in Bulacan.

According to Quintos, they had to come up with a "creative solution" due to the weather.

"We kind of knew. When we had our meetings in May with the entire team given the month that it's happening and given our distance, the original idea was to beam it, but in times like that you err on the side of being sigurista," Quintos said.

The creative director added that the winds brought about by the upcoming storm could have affected the flame.

Quintos, however, acknowledged the public's concern on the pre-taped lighting ceremony.

"I think people are angry and concerned about and concerned about and rightly they should be. But as creators, our job is to make sure that nothing goes wrong in the show," Quintos said. — Patricia Lourdes Viray

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