Thousands join Kahimunan Festival in Butuan despite rain

Performers from Barangay Mati in Surigao City give their best as moderate rainfall poured down the streets of Butuan City on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019, during the annual Kahimunan Festival. (Photo by ERWIN MASCARIÑAS / Inquirer Mindanao)

BUTUAN CITY — Despite Storm Warning Signal No.1 being raised due to Tropical Depression Amang, thousands of people from different parts of the Caraga region and Northern Mindanao flocked to the streets here on Sunday to celebrate the annual Kahimunan Festival commemorating the feast of Señor Santo Niño.

“Rain and storm will not still the celebration,” Msgr. Roel Lasco of the Santo Niño Diocesan Shrine of Barangay Libertad said. “Pilgrims with faithful hearts, we gather today to celebrate the feast day of our beloved Santo Niño, the child Jesus. This gathering is a testament of our faith as we pray and offer our praise and thanksgiving of what we have received.”

Lasco reminded those present during the street dancing competition that highlighted the festival’s weeklong events that “the image of the Sto Niño, the child Jesus, reminds us to remain small, stay humble and simple to witness the greatness of God.”

“We are gathered here to celebrate with joy and no storm can hinder the celebration,” Lasco emphasized on his message at the Libertad Sports Complex.

As rain poured on the streets of Butuan, the competing teams of dancers performed along a 3-kilometer stretch of the national highway.

The teams came from from Gingoog City, Surigao City, Butuan City, and Agusan del Sur.

There were also participants belonging to government agencies, nongovernment organizations, and religious groups.

The finale of the weeklong Kahimunan Festival here culminated as moderate rainfall poured down.

Earlier, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) issued an orange rainfall warning.

The Regional DRRMC also ordered several area prone to flooding and landslides to take precautionary measures as Tropical Depression Amang was predicted to make landfall on Jan. 20 in Surigao del Norte.

Church officials at the shrine had estimated that more than 300,000 people would flock to church grounds for the weeklong festival.

Five Masses were celebrated each day from Jan. 11 to 19.

“If we look back at last year’s event, the massive crowd started to swell the church ground as early as four in the morning,” Lasco said. “That’s around 2,000 people in a single Mass and will swell to 5,000 to 6,000 people between just before lunchtime, pushing the number to swell well beyond 30,000 people on Jan. 20, in the church premises alone.”

Dressed in Manobo costume performers from Gingoog City danced in the rain in Butuan City on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019, during the annual Kahimunan Festival. (Photo by ERWIN MASCARIÑAS / Inquirer Mindanao)

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