JV leads wet merrymaking in San Juan

MANILA, Philippines – Thousands of San Juan residents honored the city’s patron saint, John the Baptist, by drenching passersby and motorists in a raucous annual water festival yesterday.

Mayor JV Ejercito joined the merrymaking by leading a convoy of firetrucks that used their water cannons to drench children and other revelers under an overcast sky.

He was accompanied by Councilors Francis Zamora, Jana Ejercito, Doni Carballo and Kit Peralta.

Police intensified street patrols to prevent any scuffles in San Juan, where armies of residents – some armed with drums of rainwater dumped by storm “Feria” – woke early to train water guns, high-pressure hoses and buckets on shrieking crowds.

The ritual to commemorate Christ’s baptism by John the Baptist has been celebrated for decades in the Philippines. While the frenzy draws large numbers of tourists each year, many avoid San Juan to stay dry. The ritual has sparked scuffles in past years when some residents threw dirty canal water on passersby.

Susan Samuele, a 40-year-old mother of four, filled six water containers with rainwater then waited with her cousins and friends in a congested alley armed with toy water guns. By noon, she said she has ambushed about 100 passersby, and not one had complained.

Reveler Nio Suedad said he chilled a drum of water with blocks of ice “to add thrill to the fun.”

The highlight of the celebration is a parade of floats and a street dancing competition.  – Jose Rodel Clapano, AP