Water Shortage Mars PacFest in Guam

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Our delegation to the Pacific Arts Festival in Guam is staying in air conditioned classrooms but when they are out and about they’re having to deal with very humid conditions in the host country.

Guam media are reporting a water shortage at the festival but according to KHJ News’ Doug Tuigamala our delegation has ample water supply.

According to Pacific Daily News during the opening on Sunday Guam time, medics treated 10 people during the Festival of Pacific Arts opening ceremony in Hagåtña, most of them for heat-related illnesses.

Guam Fire Department Chief Joey San Nicolas told Pacific Daily News, heat-related illnesses are likely to occur in such warm environments.

He said, “It’s mostly attributed to heat, and some were transported to the hospital.”

By around 6 p.m. Sunday, a temperature of 84 degrees Fahrenheit was recorded at the Guam international airport.

-The heat index at that time — when the opening ceremony was getting underway — was 89 degrees.

Many people involved in the festival arrived much earlier. The recorded high for Sunday was 90 degrees, with a heat index of 97.

After the event, some people took to social media to express concern about how delegates weren’t given enough water.

The complaints caught the attention of Gov. Eddie Calvo, who wrote a Facebook post on Monday that addressed those concerns.

There were water coolers available, Calvo wrote, but he said some delegates forgot to bring flasks that were provided to them in supply bags that were handed out.

Governor Calvo posted, “As soon as we knew about this, the planning team and my wife’s team began passing out water and calamansi drinks at no charge.”

He said, “There is no shortage of water, but if you still want to show our Hafa Adai spirit to our visitors, by all means, you are more than welcome to do so.”

Steve Torres, a member of the Guam theater delegation, told Pacific Daily News what he witnessed during the opening ceremony.
Torres said delegates were given flasks, but they were told not to bring anything with them to the stadium.

He also said water wasn’t provided to delegates when they got to the stadium and some fainted because of dehydration and heat exhaustion.

When they weren’t given water at the stadium, the theater delegation had to buy water, and some delegates from other islands were begging for water.

The theater delegation gave water to them, but couldn’t provide a lot because of limited resources, he said.

Eventually, two cases of water were handed out to delegates, but it was to be shared among more than 300 delegates, according to Torres.

Torres encourages residents to donate water to various community organizations that are collecting water for the delegations.

In light of what happened Sunday, Sen. Michael San Nicolas’ office is collecting water from residents.

San Nicolas said he’s happy the people of Guam are stepping up and helping.

He said it was sad to hear about the situation, but it was important that Guam put its best foot forward and make the delegates feel welcomed.

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