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ASEAN music fest organizer admits surprise over crowd size

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RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/news/11/15/with-permission-from-twitter-user-annil-villanueva-top-shot-of-crowd-jpg.jpg"/><figcaption>Aerial view of the crowd at the ASEAN Music Fest on Tuesday. <em>Courtesy of Annil Villanueva</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA- The organizer of the cancelled ASEAN Music Festival admitted on Thursday that they did not expect a big turnout of attendees of the free concert last Tuesday.</p><p>ASEAN Summit National Organizing Committee Director-General Marciano Paynor Jr. said the government was prepared for a crowd of as many as 20,000 people but not for the actual turnout of around 57,000.</p><p>Police, however, pegged the number of concert goers to be only at 15,000, secured by over 550 policemen.</p><p>Asked if they failed to prepare, Paynor said: &quot;Hindi. No one ever imagined we would have that number of people owing to the conditions: it did not rain, it was a holiday, it is free. We made the necessary plans to contain a maximum of 10 [thousand], even 15 [thousand] even 20 [thousand] no problem, but 57 [thousand]? The only way to do it is to stop. If anyone has to take the blame for it, I will.&quot;</p><p>Held at Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati City, the music festival was cancelled after concertgoers got &quot;rowdy&quot; during the set of Parokya ni Edgar, resulting in the fainting of some people.</p><p>Metro Manila police chief, Director Oscar Albayalde, on Wednesday said 40 people were hurt in the concert, 31 of whom were assisted for non-trauma treatments, and 9 others for trauma treatments.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/life/11/14/17/asean-music-fest-cancelled-after-crowd-gets-rowdy">ASEAN music fest cancelled after crowd gets &#x27;rowdy&#x27;</a></li></ul><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/15/17/40-hurt-in-asean-music-fest-says-pnp">40 hurt in ASEAN music fest, says PNP</a></li></ul><p>Paynor explained that the organizing committee originally thought of the Araneta Coliseum as a venue but considered the chance that many people won&#x27;t attend due to road closures.</p><p>&quot;...As they were assessing, they said many people had already gone out [of Metro Manila] so we might have a coliseum with only a tenth of the capacity filled. So, we looked for other venues, the Ayala Triangle was one...,&quot; he said.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><div id="IVS_ABS_Body_Video_1_Container"> <ivs-player id="IVS_ABS_Body_Video_1" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-vid="1446769" data-ivs-floating="1"></ivs-player> <script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/iframe-parent.js"></script> <script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script> </div></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="~//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="~//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>Concert organizers also did not expect the enthusiastic response of the crowd to local band &quot;Parokya Ni Edgar,&quot; which only got the chance to perform 2 songs before the cancellation of the music festival.</p><p>&quot;...First time I heard of the band, with due respect. They had such a big following. When they started to play just the first tune, the crowd was swaying was back and forth and the barriers suddenly gave way and a lot of people were crushed,&quot; he said. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/11/15/17/heres-what-chito-miranda-has-to-say-about-asean-music-festival">Here&#x27;s what Chito Miranda has to say about ASEAN Music Festival</a></li></ul><p>Paynor also clarified reports that a stampede occurred during the concert, saying the decision to cancel the program was to ensure the safety of the public.</p><p>&quot;There was no stampede. Some newspaper people put it as a stampede, there&#x27;s none,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>MANILA- The organizer of the cancelled ASEAN Music Festival admitted on Thursday that they did not expect a big turnout of attendees of the free concert last Tuesday.</p>

MANILA- The organizer of the cancelled ASEAN Music Festival admitted on Thursday that they did not expect a big turnout of attendees of the free concert last Tuesday.

ASEAN music fest organizer admits surprise over crowd size

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ASEAN music fest organizer admits surprise over crowd size

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published November 16, 2017 05:00 PM PHT

|

Updated November 16, 2017 05:01 PM PHT

Read More:

ASEAN 2017

ASEAN Music Festival

Marciano Paynor

Ayala Triangle

ASEAN Summit

Parokya ni Edgar

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