What was supposed to be the biggest drone show has become the subject of controversy in Davao City.
This after the much-anticipated sky spectacle failed to get off the ground due to what organizers say as low GPS signal.
The first ever 3D Drone Lightshow was touted as one of the biggest attractions of the 86th Araw ng Davao over the weekend.
Jennifer Romero, officer-in-charge of the Davao City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO), in an interview on Monday said they will investigate and talk to the technical team to explain what went wrong.
“We will investigate and we will talk to the technical team so that we can understand and get their side on the technical aspect of what happened. We really planned last Saturday’s activity, together with the Execom and the organizers. It’s just so unfortunate na naa kita’y technical problem and we are still looking into in-depth what really happened because it’s beyond our troubleshooting. We also did our share during the event but on the technical aspect, kana pa ang atong pagatan-awon,” she said.
She also said they have yet to meet and discuss with the organizer of the event, Manic Nightnings Production, concerning the fiasco.
Last Saturday, Dabawenyos flocked the coastal road in Bago Aplaya for the first-ever drone Lightshow, which was the highlight of the Araw ng Dabaw Music and Arts Festival. The event was scheduled to start at 5 p.m. until 1 a.m. while the drone show was scheduled at 8 p.m.
However, it was already past 8 p.m. and still the drones were a “no show.” The influx of spectators also continued.
Before midnight, organizer Kat Dalisay-Santos of Manic Nightnings asked the crowd that she estimated about 80,000 through a Facebook post to turn off their data because the signal of their drones was being intercepted by the signals of the mobile phones.
“Signal is at 12%, we need it to be at least 14% to work. Help us give you the best show. TURN OFF YOUR DATAS. The drone show is not canceled but will be delayed until the signal is clear and the drones will have a clear flight path. For the people who already left, WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER DRONE SHOW AT THE SAME SPOT TOMORROW EVENING. But for now, we beg you, to turn off your DATA,” it said.
Around 1 a.m. on Sunday, the organizer decided to cancel and postpone the show to March 5, 2023.
The incident irked the Dabawenyos specially those who hiked, stayed, and waited for the show despite having no available food to eat at the venue and the threat of a stampede.
The organizer posted an apology saying lighted 3D Drones are GPS operated and their signal relies on a satellite connection.
“We have prepared for this drone show for 2 months and have been working with a highly experienced and international counterpart for the 3D drone light show. We apologize deeply for what inconvenience it has caused, but we tried our best to give you the drone light show,” it said.
The organizer also stated that they are still exhausting their resources in uncovering the root cause of the technical problem that happened Saturday evening.
“Suddenly, GPS signal was being turned off or detects a weak connection. Drone systems won’t show the correct flight path. It won’t detect a safe landing point. For safety reasons, we did not risk trying to launch the drones as it may land on the heavily crowded event area and may cause injuries. Until this hour we are still solving the problem, and a repeat show is not YET advised,” it said.
