By Gideon C. Corgue
PAGADIAN CITY – The 2015
regatta and fluvial procession, a religious-civic celebration, is more safe and
secure now than the previous years’ celebration, said Lt. Laverny Ikan, station
commander of the Philippine Coast Guard here in an interview yesterday.
Speaking in a gathering of local officials,
government employees, barangay officials, and spectators, Ikan emphasized the
importance of holding the regatta “as a gesture of thanksgiving to patron saint
Sr. Sto. Nino.
Regatta is an annual event which features over
a hundred of boats joining a fluvial procession, traditionally held each year
by the city government as part of the lined up activities for the annual fiesta
celebration called “Pasalamat festival.”
In addition to fluvial procession, boat
paddling race, pump boat race, swimming relay, “scubasurero” and balls collection
at sea will also be held.
Ikan said the Philippine Coastguard
headquarters in Manila had provided more land and sea-based assets intended for
the scheduled activities.
“You can see now patrol boats from Philippine
Coastguard, Philippine Navy and Maritime Police-Security Group sailing at the
wharf area purporsely to provide a systematic management, secure and safe
celebration of “Pasalamat Festival,” Ikan announced.
The coastguard chief said “it is only this
year that Memorandum Circular No. 04-14 was issued by the Philippine Coastguard
to the city government and Sto. Nino Cathedral through the Fiesta Executive
Council 2015 allowing them to conduct the regatta and fluvial procession.
Meanwhile, the Pasalamat Festival steering
committee chaired Cesar Dacal Jr. lauded the barangay officials and residents of
the 12 coastal barangays for their active participation of regatta.
“Your presence in this momentous event is in
response to the call of church officials that each one of us should love and
respect the poor people, as patron saint Sr. Sto. Nino did,” Dacal said.
Mayor Romeo Pulmones also hoped that the officials
of the coastal barangays would continue to support the activities so that “the
youth of today should inculcate in their minds the importance of Pasalamat
Festival.”
“Let us not forget that it is in the sea where
we can get our food and we feed our family,” Pulmones concluded.