TANGUB
CITY: No less than Department of Budget and Management Sec. Florencio “Butch”
Abad came and gave honor to this city’s yearly practice of opening and lighting
of it's Christmas Symbol Festival here, Dec. 1.
Abad
lauded city officials and employees of national government agencies for the brilliant
creation and artistic showcase of different Christmas symbols at the main
plaza.
The
budget secretary said he was astounded with the imaginative knack by each
participating group who made the 16 giant structures.
Abad
then praised the contenders’ hard work, cooperation, originality, dedication and
innovation.
Tangub
City, a grand champion in the Sinulog-Based Category of the festival for ten
consecutive years, is also the “Christmas Symbol Capital of the Philippines.”
This
pompous display of famous Christmas symbols is known not only in the
Philippines but also abroad, Abad said.
Doing
this for 22 years means a lot discipline and commitment by your officials, he
added, and by doing so makes Tangubanons a cohesive and progressive society, he
added.
Mayor
Phillip Tan responded in his speech later that the Christmas Symbols Festival
is an expression of “Bayanihan,” a Filipino term that refers to the spirit of
communal unity or effort to achieve a particular objective.
This
year’s display is dubbed “Christmas around the world Part III” where visitors tour
around the plaza and catch sight of the beautiful Christmas symbols of 16
nations of the world using a passport at P20 pesos each. (WITH REPORTS BY Gideon Corgue)