San Juan scraps water dousing festivities

MANILA, Philippines — For the second time, San Juan will scrap water dousing festivities for today’s celebration of the feast of St. John the Baptist amid the threat of the more transmissible variants of COVID-19.

Mayor Francis Zamora yesterday signed Executive Order 84, listing the activities allowed during the occasion.

The city government banned the traditional water dousing to avoid the transmission of COVID-19.

“There’s no way we can let the occasion pass without honoring our patron saint. Although a little less lively as we have to suspend our traditional basaan (dousing of water) and streetdancing, the essence of St. John’s inspiration to the San Juaneños remains with us,” Zamora said.

Newly installed Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jose Advincula will celebrate a mass at the Pinaglabanan Church at 6 p.m today.