ADVISORY: For Sto Niño de Tondo and Pandacan Feasts - Mayor Isko Moreno Bans Street Party, Stage Show, Parade, Palarong Kalye

Manila City Mayor Francisco ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso ordered that no street party, stage show, parade, palarong kalye, and other similar activities shall be allowed during the Feast of Sto Nino in Tondo and Pandacan.

Domagoso signed on Tuesday, January 12, Executive Order No. 02 noting the need to "provide stringent guidelines and regulations" in order to avoid the spread of COVID-19 among the public and its guests on January 16 to 17, 2021.

The Mayor said that such activities "can be surely an easy medium of COVID-19 spread and transmission thereby endangering the health, well-being and safety" of the general public.

Definition of street party and other activities is as follows:

Street party - shall refer to a party in which many members of a single community, congregate, either to observe an event of some importance or simply for mutual solidarity and enjoyment such as but not limited to Salu-Salo, dancing and/or singing in groups along public streets.

Stage show - shall refer to stage activities such as but not limited to beauty pageants, dance, and singing contests, stage plays and other similar activities.

Parade - shall refer to a public procession celebrating a special day or event such as but limited to Lakbayaw and other similar activities

Palarong Kalye - shall refer to all kinds of ball games such as but not limited to Basketball and Volleyball and other parlor games such as but not limited to Pabitin, Agawan Buko, Tumbang Preso, Sack Race and other similar games.

Apart of the ban on the said activities, observance of the curfew hours in the City of Manila will also be strictly implemented, as well as the liquor ban within Pandacan and Tondo areas.

Barangay officials and members of the Manila Police District are likewise directed to ensure that rules and regulations under the Executive Order will be followed.

Domagoso said that the Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

[Source: MPIO]

Executive Order No. 2 Series of 2021:

Notes:

Feast Day of Sto. Niño de Tondo

The feast day of Sto. Niño in Tondo is celebrated in the third Sunday of January. The fiesta in Tondo has the biggest participation in Manila, not only because Tondo is the most populous district in the city and poorest but perhaps because of the many anecdotes connected with the Sto. Niño of Tondo. According to Philippine Historical Commission, the peoples of Tondo celebrated the feast day with a fluvial procession that “attracted thousands of visitors.” Tondo's terrain at that time consisted of waterways and tributaries which were connected to Manila Bay, a probable reason why the present stone church of Tondo was constructed on elevated ground (several meters above sea level) to prevent sea waters from inundating the Church.

Nick Joaquin, in his book entitled Almanac for Manileños (Published in 1979) describes the previous celebrations of the fiesta:

“At four in the afternoon on the visperas (meaning the Saturday before) the Sto. Niño of Tondo is borne to the sea by a dancing crowd among which groups of women in pastora hats, or in katipuneda attire: white camisa, red saya. The dancing is through sunny streets hung with bunting and here and there will be a giant heart of bell that opens up as the Sto. Niño passes to unloose a shower of petals. Everyone dances, even the barefoot men bearing the image and the boys bearing standard or farol. At North Harbor waits the great pagoda with turreted altar. The Sto. Niño embarks, along with everybody who can squeeze abroad and the pagoda moves through the flaming hues of the sunset escorted by fishing fleets bedecked with banners the smaller boats racing each other round and round the pagoda. Dusk falls as the flotilla sails northward along the bay. On the pagoda the dancing continues but the trip has also become a picnic as the good old custom of caridad showers forth bags of biscuits and baskets of native oranges. The Sto. Niño moves in a blaze of light on the waters of his city. The voyage ends at the landing in the Velasquez and Pritil, densest tenement of Tondo is even livelier because folks back from school or works join in the merriment and besides, it’s always more fun to dance under the stars than under the sun. Parents not only from Tondo or Manila but also from the province come to dance before the Sto. Niño to pray for a sick child or give thanks for a child’s recovery."