Dinagyang 2021 fluvial, foot procession of Sto. Niño canceled

The annual fluvial and foot procession of the Sto. Niño image during the Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo City will not push through in January next year.

This was announced by the Fr. Jose Gonzales, acting parish priest of San Jose Parish, during a press conference held together with Confradia del Sto. Nino de Cebu - Iloilo Chapter, according to a report on Dobol B sa News TV by Ivan Aguana of Super Radyo Iloilo on Saturday.

A motorcade will be held instead of the fluvial and foot procession, he said.

The traditional procession was scrapped due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to prevent people from holding mass gathering, Fr. Gonzales said.

They will plan the route of the motorcade and issue advisory on who may join the event, he added.

Thousands usually join the fluvial and foot procession of the Sto. Niño image during the Dinagyang Festival.

As of Friday, December 11, nine new confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported in Iloilo City, according to the local government.

Of this number, seven are local transmissions.

The Philippines has recorded 447,039 cases of COVID-19 and 8,709 deaths as of Friday. —KG, GMA News