This year’s celebration of the Manggahan Festival will be done virtually as the Guimaras provincial government canceled all physical events to prevent mass gatherings.

Liberty Ferrer, Senior Tourism Operations Officer and officer-in-charge of the Provincial Tourism Office (PTO), said canceled activities include the agri-trade fair, Manggahan Ride, Manggahan by the Beach, and the Manggahan Sports Festival.

“What will be retained are recorded online activities for streaming,” she said in a phone interview on Tuesday.

Governor Samuel T. Gumarin signed Executive Order number 19, series of 2021 on Monday, prohibiting the conduct of crowd drawer events to “prevent the increase of local transmission and arrest the continuous rise of Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) cases in the province”.

In a statement on Tuesday, Gumarin said the safety of Guimarasnons will always be a priority.

“The rising number of Covid-19 cases in Guimaras and in our neighboring provinces is alarming. We cannot take for granted the safety of the Guimarasnons and the tourists that will visit the province during the celebration of the Manggahan Festival,” he said.

He added that these events might contribute to the transmission and surge in Covid-19 cases in Western Visayas.

The order “highly discouraged” non-essential travels for both residents and non-residents of Guimaras, to and from the province while mass gatherings and contact sports are strictly prohibited.

Meanwhile, Ferrer said the cancellation of physical events will have a huge impact on the province’s economy.

“We would have wanted to highlight our agri-trade fair to sell our mangoes and other products. This is supposed to be a chance for our producers to showcase their products,” she said.

Citing data from the Agricultural Services Office, she said around 30 tons of mangoes are available this third week of May in time for the festival.

Same-day tourist arrivals in the past reached almost 100,000, especially if there are celebrities, she said.

Meantime, the virtual celebration will allow the people of Guimaras to “feel the Manggahan vibe even online”.

Virtual events that will be streamed through the various Manggahan Festival platforms include Butlak Guimaras Specials mini-documentaries, Mobile Legends tournament, and winners of the Vlog-Making Contest.

Best performances of the previous cultural presentations will also be presented through the “Manggahan Cultural Throwback” to be streamed online.

Gumarin is still expected to deliver his State of the Province Address (SOPA) as Guimaras celebrates its 29th anniversary as a province.

Those who are interested to watch the streamed activities are advised to visit the Guimaras Manggahan, Province of Guimaras, and Guimaras Tourism official FB page.

The celebration set from May 20 to 22 will anchor on the theme “Engage, Enjoy, and Experience”.

As of Sunday, Guimaras has 466 total confirmed cases, with 49 active cases, 409 recoveries and eight deaths. (PNA)