For the third straight year, Saulog Tagbilaran will not hold a street-dancing competition, one of the festival’s main attractions, as the pandemic persists, an official said.

According to Tagbilaran City Administrator Cathy Torremocha, events that would draw large crowds will still not be held while COVID-19 restrictions remain in place.

The decision to scrap the event will remain in place even if the alert level in Bohol will be lowered to Level 1 from Level 2.

“Kung Level 1 naa man gyud gihapon tay mga sundon na protocols gihapons based sa IATF [Inter-Agency Task Force] so definitely dili sa lang gyud ta mag street dancing karon,” said Torremocha.

She added that it is not possible to make a last-minute decision to reinstate the event even if restrictions are further relaxed, noting that the competition requires time to prepare.

“Di man maingon na on the dot ng preparation so it would really take time,” she said.

The street-dancing completion has been suspended since the pandemic erupted in the first quarter of 2020.

Celebration of the festival resumed last year but this was done online and with less activities.

According to Torremocha, the city will commemorate this year the Blood Compact which marks the start of the festival and hold various other activities.

“Aduna gihapon tay mga activities, atong gisugdan last December. Diha tay Tagbilaran Online, Kumbira sa Tagbilaran, kay mao man nay tradition nato even before sa pandemic, so ato na siyang gibalik,” said Torremocha.

Torremocha said it still remains to be seen whether or not the city will be able to relaunch the street-dance competition next year and other activities under the festival. (AD)