Araw ng Dabaw still online for 3rd year

By RALPH LAWRENCE G. LLEMIT, SunStar

DESPITE the lifting of the ban on face-to-face events organized by government offices in Davao City, the 85th celebration of the Araw ng Dabaw will still be held virtually.

City Tourism Operations Office Head Generose Tecson said in a radio interview on Wednesday morning, February 16, a hybrid celebration or a mix of physical and virtual activities is not possible because organizers have already made the preparations months prior.

"Since alam niyo naman na naka-prepare na po kami ng virtual celebration, 'yun na po 'yung mangyayari kasi alam niyo naman sa gobyerno, andami-daming processes, so hindi natin matse-change kaagad, but we prepared a one day celebration for everybody," Tecson said in an interview on 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio.

(Since you know that we already prepared for the virtual celebration, changing it won’t be easy considering that it is a government event, it requires various processes, so we won’t be able to change it instantly, but we prepared a one-day celebration for everybody.)

The Araw celebrations were among the government-initiated activities affected when Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio issued Executive Order (EO) 69 in 2021, prohibiting face-to-face city and national government activities held within the territorial jurisdiction of the city.

However, on Monday, February 14, Duterte-Carpio issued EO 6, easing the regulations covering events by government offices in the barangay, local, and national level, including government-owned and controlled corporation events.

EO 6 now allows face-to-face, hybrid, or online facilitation of events like inauguration, anniversary, thanksgiving, ribbon-cutting, blessing, turnover, groundbreaking activity, launching program, salo-salo, birthday, press conference, oath-taking program, photo opportunity, retirement honors, welcome honors, testimonial program, summer outing, team building, training events, seminars, and other similar activities.

The mayor said in her EO that the easing of restrictions covering events is due to “the decrease in the number of cases reported, the active vaccination rollout within the city, and the availability of the Molnupiravir drug.”

Tecson, however, said the city is not being complacent despite the downtrend in Covid-19 cases.

"Because in the first place, even if bumaba na po 'yung ating mga (there is an easing of) restrictions, we have to remember that Covid is very much around," the official said.

She also said parades would attract crowds, which would be vulnerable to the transmission of the virus.

"We don't want that. Ang gusto natin is something na mag-celebrate tayo together pero (that we can celebrate together but) which will take us back to the new normal. We will set the example," Tecson said.

The complete lineup of activities has yet to be announced.

This would be the third year the city would forego the traditional celebration of the city's founding anniversary.