San Juan designates ‘Basaan Zone’ for water festival

MANILA, Philippines — 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.

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.

The San Juan mayor made good his promise last year to cease holding the Wattah Wattah festival in the entire city.

Last year’s revelry was marred by the “unruly” behavior of Lexter Castro, also known as Boy Dila, who was seen on video accosting delivery rider Eustaquio Rapal with a water gun before sticking out his tongue.

Castro apologized to the rider nearly two weeks after the festival.

Following the incident, the city council passed Ordinance 14, series of 2025, to address loopholes in the rules for the Wattah Wattah festival.

The ordinance designated the Basaan Zone and imposes a P5,000 fine on revelers who will douse water on people outside of the zone. A violator also faces 10 days of imprisonment.

Minors who violate the measure will be turned over to the city’s social welfare and development office and their parents will be fined P5,000.

The ordinance also restricts dousing contaminated water, opening and rocking cars, entering vehicles and propagating fear and violence.

Zamora said 300 San Juan police officers would be deployed on Tuesday, with augmentation forces coming from the Eastern Police District.

He was also set to meet with Philippine National Police chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III yesterday to discuss other security measures for the festival.

“This goes to show how serious we are. Inside the Basaan Zone expect a lot of police and outside of it expect a lot of police,” Zamora said.

He added that only three fire trucks would participate in the dousing of water as part of the city’s water conservation efforts.

A Mass will be celebrated at Pinaglabanan Church at 6 a.m. before the festivities kick off an hour later.

Wattah Wattah Festival commemorates the birth of San Juan’s patron saint, St. John the Baptist, who baptized Jesus Christ with water and prepared the people for His coming.