DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 16 August) — Heavy rains Friday night left parts of Magsaysay Park here knee-deep in water, forcing festival-goers, vendors, and security personnel to wade through the flooded grounds as the city celebrates the month-long Kadayawan Festival.
The Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) issued Heavy Rainfall Warning No. 1 via its Facebook page at 5:18 p.m., reporting that the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) was bringing scattered showers and thunderstorms to the city, as warned by the PAGASA weather bureau.
The agency advised to expect heavy rainfall and possible flooding.
At the Kadayawan Tribal Village, visitors squeezed into traditional huts to escape the downpour, while vendors struggled to keep their goods dry.
Though no cultural performances were scheduled in the area Friday evening, tourists hoping to explore the tribal houses found their plans disrupted.
Beyond the Tribal Village, food stalls and a children’s bike-riding activity were halted as the rain worsened, prompting many vendors to pack up early and leaving empty tables behind.
Some festival-goers sought shelter, while others braved the waterlogged grounds to continue exploring.
Christy Villanueva, who came with her family, said much of their time was spent huddled inside tents.
“We wanted to go around some more, but most of our time was spent standing inside a tent. Unfortunately, we only had one umbrella, so we took turns who’d use it to be able to explore the place,” she said, laughing at the unexpected hassle.
Villanueva added that for dinner, they clustered under a vendor’s phone flashlight, because they feared their light bulbs might short-circuit in the rain.
MindaNews tried to ask security personnel stationed at the park if the weather made their jobs more difficult but they refused to comment, citing lack of authorization.
According to a City Information Office (CIO) report last week, the CDRRMO deployed over 300 personnel for the festival, including trained barangay medical responders.
Officials also advised the public to to monitor weather updates closely, in anticipation for hot afternoons and evening thunderstorms.
Despite the challenges, festival-goers continued exploring whenever possible, determined to celebrate Kadayawan even in the rain. (Guia Rebollido / MindaNews)
