MONKEYPOX THREAT. Kadayawan Executive Committee chairperson Al Ryan Alejandre appeals to guests from countries with monkeypox cases not to join activities for the 37th Kadayawan Festival from August 15 to 21, 2022. However, Alejandre said the City Health Office has assured it is well-prepared to deal with the contagious disease. (PNA photo by Che Palicte)
DAVAO CITY – The Kadayawan Executive Committee (Execom) urged Wednesday guests from countries with monkeypox cases not to join the face-to-face activities for the 37th Kadayawan Festival.
In a press briefing, Kadayawan Execom chair Al Ryan Alejandre asked the City Health Office (CHO) and City Information Office to advise countries with monkeypox cases on various media platforms for public awareness.
“If you have a friend or a loved one from those countries (with cases) going to Davao, please do not encourage them to witness Kadayawan activities because it is quite dangerous,” Alejandre said.
CHO earlier said it believes guests from countries with monkeypox cases are unlikely to attend Kadayawan activities since they are no longer allowed to travel outside their countries.
On July 23, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox a global health emergency, its highest alert level for a disease.
More than 16,000 cases and five deaths of monkeypox so far have been reported in 75 countries and territories.
On July 29, the Department of Health (DOH) confirmed the first case of monkeypox in the country. The case involved a 31-year-old Filipino who returned to the country from an overseas trip on July 19.
With the staging of the Kadayawan fest via face-to-face, Alejandre said they are hopeful the city will remain on Alert level 1 on August 15, the start of the weeklong festivities.
“Nevertheless, if the Inter-Agency Task Force will make a recommendation, what we are going to do is to comply with it. But then again, the President announced earlier that there will be no lockdowns, so we rely on that,” Alejandre said.
Alejandre, who is also a City Council member, said he remains confident the activities will push through.
With an allotted budget of PHP56 million, the Kadayawan is the first major festival in the country to have a face-to-face celebration since the pandemic began. (PNA)
