‘CROWD CONTROLLED’: Crowding at city food fest triggers dispersal

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

The Iloilo City Hall was forced to disperse the crowd that gathered in a food festival in a mall complex in Mandurriao district in the dying hours of the 2022 Dinagyang festival on Jan 23, 2022.

The dispersal was carried out amid the surge in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the city for three weeks already.

The Dinagyang Food Expo was held outside the Festive Walk Mall of Iloilo Business Park as part of the festival weekend highlights.

But on its last night Sunday, the food walk attracted hundreds of people who wanted to savor the last moments of the 2022 festival.

The influx of people triggered negative reactions on social media as it happened amid Iloilo City’s record-breaking weekend of more than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases.

On Sunday evening, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas issued a statement saying he had ordered the dispersal of the event and apologized for the inconvenience to others.

“I am very sorry I was not aware of the same and as soon as my attention was called on the gathering, I immediately ordered the dispersal of the people. We still cannot allow any gathering of any kind. Please understand that we are on the brink of being placed under Alert Level 4. I am hoping it will not happen and I am doing everything to prevent it,” the mayor said in a statement.

The city’s COVID-19 Team spokesperson Jeck Conlu confirmed in a radio interview on Monday that the compliance team was sent to disperse the crowd with assistance from the city police.

Conlu said that they are still verifying whether organizers of the food expo asked permission from the city government.

“These events are recommended for approval by the COVID Team because they indicate the capacity of the area and commit compliance to minimum health protocols. That is why we are still checking if they did seek approval to hold the food expo in that area,” he added.

The Dinagyang Festival’s chief organizer, the Iloilo Festivals Foundation, Inc. (IFFI), disowned the event, saying that this was not part of the festival’s official events.

Festival schedules uploaded by the IFFI on social media on January 15 did indicate some events at the Festive Walk Mall, including a business expo and a costume exhibit, but the food expo was not included.

“The Foundation, together with the representative of the Iloilo City LGU, had already a meeting with the different side event organizers including different Mall Management, that there will be restrictions for the on-ground events, however, regular mall activities which include operations of food businesses are still allowed, provided that the protocols indicated in the Executive Order will still be followed,” the IFFI said in its statement.

Festive Walk Mall has yet to comment or issue a statement.