San Juan designates 'Basaan Zone' for water festival

Learning from last year's Wattah Wattah festival that was marred by unruly behavior, San Juan has designated just one area this year where revelers can douse water on people.

- EJ Macababbad, Mark Ernest Villeza

Mayor Francis Zamora said the portion of Pinaglabanan Road between N. Domingo and P. Guevarra streets and the Pinaglabanan Shrine would serve as Basaan Zone where revelers are free to douse water on people from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 24.

Zamora said dousing water outside the designated area is strictly prohibited to avoid a repeat of last year's episodes of misbehaving residents who harassed pedestrians, passersby and motorists.

"I know some of our citizens will feel unfamiliar given that this is a decades-long tradition, but we must remember this is for the safety of the city and the safety of people from other places who are just passing through San Juan to work and who don't want to celebrate with us but are being affected," Zamora told reporters in Filipino.