Sangyaw  Parade of Lights 2013. Photo courtesy of Tacloban City government
Sangyaw Parade of Lights 2013. Photo courtesy of Tacloban City government

 

TACLOBAN CITY- This city still reeling from the aftermath of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” is gearing for its annual fiesta celebration on June.

The celebration will be “low key,” with the city government allocating P6.9 million for the occasion, said Councilor Cristina Romualdez, chairperson of the Sangyaw Foundation which runs the activities related to the city fiesta.

“But this amount could probably trim down to around P3 million as we have solicited from private donors. We really want to celebrate our fiesta in a very low key celebration considering that we are still in the rehabilitation process due to Yolanda,” Romualdez, wife of City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, said.

In previous city fiesta celebrations, the city government allocated more than P10 million on top of solicitation from private companies and local businessmen.

This year, Tacloban will celebrate its 126th city fiesta in honor of its patron Senior Santo Niño on June 30.

The city has yet to fully recover from the devastation it suffered when it was hit by Yolanda on November 8,2013 that resulted to the deaths of more than 2,200 people and damaged to properties of more than P20 billion.

Councilor Romualdez said that the holding of the fiesta is expected to draw tourists to the city to the benefits of local businessmen.

Tacloban City Councilor and Sangyaw foundation Chairperson Cristina Gonzales Romualdez
Tacloban City Councilor and Sangyaw foundation Chairperson Cristina Gonzales Romualdez

“This could also serve as (part) of the healing process of our people. We really have to move on,” she said.
“The people are also looking forward to the celebration,” Romualdez said.

Romualdez said that among the highlights of the celebration will be the holding of a local festival, dubbed as “Parade of Lights,” wherein participants are dressed in colorful costumes bedecked with lights.

This year, 20 groups are to compete for the cash prize offered for the winner in the “Parade of Lights” competition.

This year’ celebration has a theme of “Resilient Tacloban,” underscoring the abilities of the people of the city to bounce back and recover from the aftermaths of Yolanda.

“We want to show to the whole world that despite of what happened to us here in Tacloban, we can still manage to show our best and that we are now in the road towards recovery,” Romualdez said.