ZAMBOANGA CITY — Torrential rains spawned by tropical storm “Paeng” have forced the cancellation of Sunday’s second Zamboanga Hermosa Triathlon as flash floods inundated parts of the race course and displaced thousands of Zamboangueños from their homes.
The decision to cancel the race was made on Saturday jointly by the city government, which has mobilized its resources to the rescue and relief efforts for the flooding victims, and the organizing Fuerza Multisport.
Heavy rains over the past few days submerged most of the city’s barangays and washed out homes, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents, including some participants, volunteers, organizers and supporters of the Hermosa Triathlon, which would have been the climax of the city’s annual La Hermosa Festival.
In the wake of the disaster, City Mayor John Dalipe ordered the cancellation of the remaining activities of the La Hermosa Festival. C
“Much as we wanted to proceed with the race, we cannot be insensitive to the plight of the Zamboangueños who lost their homes in this unprecedented tragedy. Hours spent in training for this event is nothing compared to the untold suffering and misery that befell the victims,” said the statement released by the organizing Fuerza Multisport and its local partners, the Zamboanga Trail Runners (ZTR).
The event, a 1.6-km swim, 45-km bike and 11-km run, would have started and finished in the city’s Paseo del Mar. The decision to cancel the event was posted on the FaceBook page of the city government of Zamboanga.