Dinagyang Festival: 300 emergency volunteers ready

ILOILO CITY, Philippines – A total of 300 emergency volunteers have been detailed to 17 first aid stations around the city’s main streets for the week-long celebration of the Dinagyang Festival.

Gilbert Paul Valderrama, head of Philippine National Red Cross-Iloilo, said the volunteers consisted of 120 personnel from the PNRC-Iloilo and the rest from the Iloilo City Health Office and the Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO).

Valderrama said first aid stations are located in strategic areas, parade routes and four judging areas along Freedom Grandstand (Stage 1), Capitol (Stage 2), Quezon-Ledesma (Stage 3) and Ma. Clara (Stage 4).

There are enough medicines and two standby ambulance vehicles ready to respond in case of emergency.

John Cobarobles of CDRRMO also assured the public there are enough personnel and volunteers for emergency cases.

The Iloilo Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Association (IHRRA) will officially open its Dinagyang Food Festival a week before the competition. Doctor Urminico Baronda said that food for the festival will be safe for all, as his personnel will inspect kiosks and the food preparations.

The Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation Inc. (IDFI) has started selling kiosks last Jan. 10 in line with three-day Dinagyang Festival on January 24-26. This year, the number of available kiosks has increased from 779 last year to 1,038 this year. Each kiosk measures 2.5 meter x 3 meter. (FREEMAN)