BACOLOD City – The staging of this year’s Panaad Festival in Negros Occidental might be cancelled amid growing fears over the continued increase in coronavirus disease cases in the country.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson is set to meet this week chief executives of various towns and cities in the province to decide the fate of the weeklong festivity slated on April 20 to 26.
The annual Panaad sa Negros Festival is considered as the mother of all festivals.
Lacson said he is waiting for the guidelines from the national state in relation to the public health emergency declaration.
He said that he leaves on the discretion of the mayors about the possibilities of the cancellation of festivals in their respective localities relative to the local spread of COVID-19.
Lacson also alerted barangay officials to closely monitor their respective areas especially people who just arrived from other virus-hit countries like China, Hongkong, Korea, Macau, Taiwan and even Italy where there has been a surge of COVID-19 cases.
Lacson appealed to the public to follow protocol set by health authorities that includes bringing of alcohol and hand sanitizers aside from wearing mask for health protection.
During the launching of the Panaad Festival last month, Lacson has already said the province will continue preparing for Panaad 2020 and that they will not allow the condition which might not exist in April dampen its spirit.
“However we will not sacrifice the health of our constituents. We will be willing to postpone or cancel the event if the need arises. The health and well-being of Negrenses is my utmost concern and priority,” he said./PN
