BACOLOD City Councilor Caesar Distrito said on Friday the move to regulate the holding of “wet and wild” parties in the city through an ordinance does not involve politics.
The action to pass a regulation ordinance is gaining ground and now has the support of various sectors in the city, said Distrito, who authored the proposed measure with Councilor Em Ang, along with co-authors Councilors Anna Marie Palermo and Carlos Jose Lopez.
On Thursday and Friday, Distrito, who chairs the committee on youth, and Ang, who heads the committee on family and child development, conducted public hearings on the proposed ordinance regulating the staging of “wet and wild” parties and similar events.
Distrito said most of the student leaders, barangays officials, church leaders, parents and other concerned sectors who attended the hearing gave their overwhelming support to the passage of the ordinance.
As to the proposal of Mayor Monico Puentevella to just change the name “wet and wild” to “soft and dry,” Distrito said that changing the name of the event will not cure its defects.
“The city should find the real solution to this social concern. This is not a political issue but a social issue that needs to be given attention by the mayor,” he said.
The mayors sons, Monico Jr. and Brian Joseph, are known to be involved in the staging of “wet and wild” parties in Bacolod, including the “Wild Water Weekend: Summer Pool Experience” held at Hi Residences last June 7 and the Summer Smash staged at the vacant lot of the SM City Bacolod last May 24.
In fact, the City of Bacolod has been named as a major sponsor of the Summer Smash event as shown in its promotional posters.
Distrito said the letter of Bishop Vicente Navarra to Puentevella which calls for the banning of “wet and wild” parties in Bacolod should be enough to push the mayor to attend to this social concern.
“The regulation measure is for all organizers to follow wherein it is a “no-no” to allow minors to join ‘wet and wild parties,” the councilor said.
He added that smoking and drinking of liquor should also be regulated so that “it will become a wholesome and clean party.”
For her part, Ang said: "We are not pushing for the total ban of the ‘wet and wild’ parties, but we want to regulate it for the safety and protection of the youth.”