Some Filipinos took to social media to share accounts of being splashed with water against their will during the celebration of the Feast of St. John the Baptist in various areas.
The feast of the saint is celebrated every June 24, his nativity.
St. John the Baptist ushered in Jesus Christ’s ministry, his cousin, when he baptized the latter in the Jordan River. The saint is also exalted as the Messiah’s forerunner.
His feast is celebrated by the Christian community with vibrant water-dousing activities and other events like street parades, boat parades, and feasting on roasted pigs, among others.
In other areas, the feast is mainly commemorated with water, linked to the Baptist saint.
Among those is San Juan City, which popularly celebrates the “Wattah Wattah (Water Water) Festival” on June 24 in honor of its patron saint, during which participants douse each other with water.
The city went viral last year following its celebration, when widespread complaints of disorderly conduct and unruly behavior among its participants were reported.
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Meanwhile, St. John the Baptist’s feast is also celebrated in other communities across the country.
In Calauan, Laguna, reports emerged of jeepney passengers getting upset after being doused with water by participants, despite their refusal to get wet.
Another video showed a motorcycle rider being doused against his will in the same municipality.
@gabrielmanj Mga Taong Walang RESPETO 😡😡😡 #calauan #dayaplaguna #dayapcalauanlaguna #calauanlaguna ♬ original sound – Kuya Gab’s
There was also a video of a female jeepney passenger who was doused against her will in San Juan, General Trias, Cavite.
There was also a student who posted about his experience of the “Basaan” in Brgy. Dayap, Calauan, Laguna, saying that it happened when he had an exam to take later that day.
“I was informed that there is a celebration there — the basaan —however, I did not expect it to be so extreme to the point that some people will try to climb onto the vehicle and splash water on us,” Facebook user Russel Luna said.
“And so it happened: we were splashed with buckets of water. Some of the passengers, including me and my friend, were pleading not to splash water on us, but no one listened,” he added.
“We tried holding the window cover of the jeepney to prevent the water from coming in, but they deliberately tried to reach our hands to release our hold on the coat so they can get us wet,” Luna continued.
“To the people of Dayap, I hope you can reflect on your actions earlier, ask yourselves if the celebration you had was worth it. I hope this kind of tradition will change soon, as it causes nothing but harm and damage,” he further said.
Meanwhile, San Juan City has already designated a “Basaan Zone” and a time period in which participants can celebrate its patron saint’s feast without causing disorder.
Despite this, a fight still broke out during the city’s festival. Reports said first aid was immediately provided.
San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora said that their “Wattah Wattah” had only a “few troubles” compared to before.
“May mga minors na nagkaroon ng kaunting suntukan. Ngunit, ang ating kapulisan ay naawat agad ‘yan,” he said to reporters on June 24.
