Wattah! Wattah! Festival: June 24 special holiday in San Juan City

wattah wattah
(Photo courtesy of Ben Briones/PNA)

By Darryl John Esguerra | Philippine News Agency

Malacañang has declared June 24 a special non-working day in the City of San Juan in celebration of its Wattah! Wattah! Festival.

“It is but fitting and proper that the people of the City of San Juan be given full opportunity to participate in the occasion and enjoy the celebrations,” read Proclamation No. 929, which was signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on June 13.

A copy of the proclamation was made public on Tuesday, June 17.

The Wattah! Wattah! Festival is an annual celebration in honor of the city’s patron saint, St. John the Baptist, a revered figure in Catholicism who baptized Jesus Christ.

Children and adults alike line the streets and generously douse passersby or unsuspecting commuters and visitors with water – supposedly to remind them of their baptism.

Last year, videos circulated on social media showed residents harassing motorists and passersby, dousing them without consent, and damaging belongings, including gadgets and important documents.

The City Government of San Juan apologized for the event’s turnout and said that some adjustments would be implemented in the future for the annual observance, including designating an area for the traditional dousing of water or “basaan”. (PNA)

Popular

PBBM underscores public cooperation as key to better disaster response

By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. reiterated his call on the citizenry to remain on constant alert and exercise vigilant measures at...

PBBM lauds eGov app’s impact on Filipinos, hints at upcoming features

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. recognized the indispensable role of the eGov app in fast-tracking and streamlining the digitalization of government transactions and services,...

What’s next for the Marcos admin? Key agencies tackle food security, economic dev’t post-SONA 2025

https://www.youtube.com/live/hXRnysWZ6SM?si=GGc-0MxxrP1SXsvE By Brian Campued President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has reported the situation of the country—along with his administration’s progress, gains, and challenges in the past...

PBBM lauds improvements in PH labor market

By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. praised the wide-ranging achievements made by his administration on bolstering the country’s domestic labor market over...