By Nimfa L. Estrellado-Laurino Likhawit fallout. Crowds gather before the stage at the Alcala Sports Complex during the Likhawit Music F...
By Nimfa L. Estrellado-Laurino
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| Likhawit fallout. Crowds gather before the stage at the Alcala Sports Complex during the Likhawit Music Festival 2026, which later drew complaints from merchants over losses and operational problems before its second day was canceled. (Jayan Ponce Judalena) |
LUCENA CITY, Quezon - What began as the cancellation of the second day of Likhawit Music Festival 2026 has grown into a wider dispute over merchant losses, unpaid obligations and the handling of a major private event inside a provincial facility. On September 24, the Provincial Government of Quezon opened its own investigation and barred the organizers and production team involved from using any facility it owns or manages.
The province issued the statement as participating merchants described the financial and operational problems they said followed the two-day event at the Alcala Sports Complex. Their complaints have pushed the controversy beyond a canceled concert, raising questions over booth payments, ticket refunds, supplier obligations and the safeguards required for private events held in government venues.
Likhawit Music Festival 2026: The Last Echo was scheduled for September 18 and 19 at the Alcala Sports Complex in Lucena City, with Kapit Productions identified as the organizer. The festival had been promoted as a large two-day music event featuring nationally known performers and drawing thousands of spectators from Quezon and nearby areas.
Merchant Jayan Ponce Judalena said around 30 small businesses joined the festival and spent heavily on booth spaces, stocks and day-to-day operating costs before the second-day program was canceled. He placed their combined losses and damaged or unsold products at about ₱2.5 million, an estimate that has yet to be independently established through a complete accounting.
Judalena said the booth fees alone were already a major investment for small business owners who expected to recover their expenses over two days of selling. Some merchants, he said, paid about ₱30,000 per day or as much as ₱60,000 for the full festival depending on their package.
“Kami ay nagbayad ng malaking halaga para sa aming merchant spaces. May mga merchant na nagbayad ng humigit-kumulang ₱30,000 kada araw o ₱60,000 para sa dalawang araw, depende sa package.” Judalena said.
The cost of joining did not end with the merchant fee, as vendors also spent on transportation, workers, accommodation, food and additional stocks prepared for the expected crowd. Those expenses became harder to recover when the second day was called off and merchants were left with products they had expected to sell during another full day of operations.
Judalena said the first day was already difficult for some merchants because of problems with electricity and the assignment of selling spaces. He also claimed vendors were encouraged to increase their stocks after being told that 15,000 tickets had been sold, although that figure has not been independently verified.
“Buong araw wala kuryente (karamihan samin nag arkila pa ng generator para magkakuryente) pero WALANG KURYENTE BUONG EVENT, nangakong 15,000 sold ticket, unorganized event hindi mo alam saan ka pwepwesto dahil wala nag aassist at ang malala DAY 2 cancel. Wala kame matanggap na konkreto plano nila para samin.” Judalena said.
The complaints do not stop with the merchants, as Judalena also alleged that payments involving tents, photographers and livestreaming services remained unsettled. He further claimed that some artists had not been paid, but those allegations still require confirmation from the performers, service providers and organizer concerned.
Ticket holders are also seeking clarity after the cancellation of the second day, adding another unresolved financial issue to the dispute. The number of affected buyers, the amount involved and the status of possible refunds have yet to be established through a complete public accounting from the organizer or ticketing provider.
The Provincial Government of Quezon, however, drew a clear line between its role as owner and administrator of the venue and the private operation of the festival. It said its involvement was limited to ensuring compliance with laws, regulations and environmental conditions for the proper use of the Alcala Sports Complex, including the no-plastic policy and proper waste segregation.
Provincial officials stressed that they did not organize, produce, promote or commercially manage Likhawit. The September 24 statement said those responsibilities remained outside the provincial government’s participation in the event.
“Binibigyang-diin na ang naging partisipasyon nito ay HINDI SAKLAW ang pag-oorganisa, produksyon, promosyon, pamamahala, o komersyal na operasyon ng concert. Hindi organizer, producer, promoter, sponsor, o coordinator ng event ang Pamahalaang Panlalawigan.” the provincial government said.
That distinction has become one of the central issues in the controversy as merchants seek answers about how the festival was managed while being held inside a government-controlled complex. Although the province did not assume responsibility for the private organizer’s financial dealings, it acknowledged the seriousness of what happened by opening its own investigation.
The inquiry is expected to look into the circumstances that led to the second-day cancellation and the measures needed to prevent a similar incident in provincial facilities. It also puts attention on how private organizers are screened and what safeguards should be in place before large commercial events are allowed to use government property.
“Gayunpaman, nagsasagawa na ngayon ang Pamahalaang Panlalawigan ng sarili nitong imbestigasyon upang alamin ang mga pangyayaring humantong sa pagkansela ng event. Makaaasa ang publiko na ginagawa ang lahat ng nararapat na hakbang upang matiyak na hindi na mauulit ang katulad na insidente sa mga pasilidad nito.” the provincial government said.
The province took its strongest step by condemning the actions of the private organizers and production team and banning them from future use of provincial facilities. That sanction is so far the clearest official consequence of the failed second day, even as the financial claims involving merchants, suppliers, performers and ticket holders remain unsettled.
Judalena said the affected merchants had already gone to police to report their concerns and seek assistance over their losses. The nature and status of any formal complaint still require confirmation from law-enforcement authorities, and no criminal responsibility has been established against any organizer or individual based on the public allegations alone.
Several people were named in Judalena’s Facebook post, but the post itself does not establish their specific roles or legal responsibility for the money being claimed by affected merchants. Kapit Productions has yet to publicly address the merchants’ ₱2.5-million estimate, the allegations of unpaid obligations and the provincial government’s September 24 action.
The provincial investigation now carries stakes beyond one canceled concert because it may shape how future private promoters are allowed to use government-owned venues in Quezon. Its findings are expected to clarify what went wrong during Likhawit and whether existing safeguards were enough to protect merchants, ticket holders and service providers when the festival failed to proceed as planned.
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