19th Christmas symbols festival opens

TANGUB CITY--It started with a simple concept of putting a Christmas Tree in the middle of the plaza to keep alive the small city during Christmas season.

Then the following year, the man at the helm of running the city made it sure that his first lady will have something to look forward to during the Holidays, so he added another Christmas Tree in the plaza and the rest is what they say is history.

This was recalled by City Mayor Philip Tan during the opening ceremony of the Christmas Symbol Festival, a month-long celebration that features gigantic Christmas symbols lighted to its glory using indigenous materials that would reveal the ingenuity of Filipinos, especially the Tangubanons where hundreds of people witnessed the grand evening affair.

“Bag-o ming kasal adto, gimingaw man gud siya sa ilaha, mao nga aron malipay siya akong gibutangan og Christmas Tree hangtud nga daghan na ang miduaw,” Tan added.

From a single Christmas Tree in the middle of quiet plaza to a glowing Christmas wonderlands, Tangub City is what it is now and is known for.

The city through the years has been the favorite destination of visitors, both foreign and local, during Christmas just to witness the gigantic symbols, added Tan.
On its 19th year of staging, mayor Philip Tan who started the event and now thank all the Tangubanons for their trust and confidence to their leaders and the visitors, foreign and local alike, for their continued support and making their city the Christmas Symbol Capital of the Philippines.

Department of Tourism 10 (DOT) director Catalino Chan III, during the opening ceremony, congratulated the leaders of Tangub for the resounding success of the event.

which made it to the list of calendar of events of the agency that is published monthly locally and internationally.

Misamis Occidental vice-governor Henry S. Oaminal thanked the Tangubanons and its leaders for their contribution in making Misamis Occidental the most visited destination in the country because of its Chritsmas symbols festival.
He added that Tangubanons' unity to produce the best and grandest display of Christmas symbols by far, would show that the rest of the country can learn a lesson or two from the Tangubanons in facing and overcoming obstacles that the country is facing.

In a separate interview, former Mayor Jennifer Tan, now the Area Unified Tourism Organization (AUTO) co-charmain, Regional Tourism Chairman and Director, who was pleased on that night thanked her people for all their support 18 years ago is a product of love and years after it is now generating love.
She pointed out that the month-long festival that ends on Epiphany is the best example of unity.

She also challenged her constituents of sustaining the said activity for the next years to come and the local leaders should be selfless in their commitment to serve the people.

The grand opening was witnessed by thousands of people coming from different places of the country.(NEPTALIE BATOLENIO)