A HIGHLAND gathering has been canceled to assure health and safety.
The committee in charge of the Lang-ay Festival in Mountain Province has decided to cancel this year’s staging of the community fiesta.
The Provincial Health Board headed by Governor Bonifacio Lacwasan Jr. recommended the cancellation as majority of those who attended and expressed their opinion agreed to forego the festival.
Organizers took note of towns in the Mountain Province that canceled and toned down town festivals as precautionary measures amid the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) scare.
“Though Mountain Province remains free of Covid-19, there is an urgent need to intensify measures to prevent the spread of the disease in the province. For an institution that promotes the utmost well-being of its people, we have to listen to the advice of the right authorities and lead in the implementation,” Lacwasan said.
However, the celebration of the foundation day of the Provincial Government will push through with simple ceremonies.
This year’s foundation day celebration will start with an ecumenical service and will be followed by a simple program at the Provincial Plaza in the morning of April 7.
The meeting and consultation was held at the Bontoc Provincial Capitol February 26 where festival committee heads and provincial government officials were also present.
The Department of Health (DOH)-Cordillera announced that the Cordillera Region is still Covid-19-free.
However, DOH-Cordillera director Amelita Pangilinan reminded the public that even though holding of festivals and other crowd drawing activities are not prohibited, they should observed precautionary measures and avoid going to crowded places.