CANCELED. Performers of Pasaka Festival of Tanauan, Leyte who won the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival in Tacloban City in this June 27, 2019 photo. The provincial government of Leyte on Thursday (May 28, 2020) canceled all events related to the region’s grandest annual festival due to threats of coronavirus disease 2019. (PNA photo by Roel Amazona)
TACLOBAN CITY – The provincial government of Leyte has canceled all events related to the region’s grandest annual festival due to threats of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Governor Dominico Petilla signed Resolution No. 01-0-2020 on Thursday, suspending the 34th Pintados Festival and 25th Kasadyaan Festival of Festivals in June.
The cancelation is agreed upon by the president of Pintados Foundation, the chairperson of the Pintados-Kasadyaan 2020, the director of the Department of Tourism Eastern Visayas, and other key officials.
“This is in consonance to the directive suspending public gatherings in villages, towns, and cities, which draw a huge number of people such as fiestas and festivities, to contain the spread of coronavirus,” said Petilla in a statement.
Since the Covid-19 outbreak in the country, a total of four cases have been confirmed in Leyte, including two recoveries both from Burauen town and two active cases from Baybay City and Tanauan.
The festivals, showcasing the province’s culture and history are held every 27th of June here, participated in by different schools and organizations in Eastern Visayas.
Leyte’s festivals have brought fame to various champions, among them the Buyogan Festival of Abuyog, Burauen’s Buraburon, Tanauan’s Pasaka Festival, and Lingganay Festival of Alang-alang town.
These festivals bested other festivals in the country and emerged as champions in such prominent festivals as Sinulog of Cebu and the annual national Aliwan Fiesta-Battle of Festival champions in Manila. (PNA)
