COLORFUL series lights, lanterns made of indigenous materials, a Santa House and a giant Christmas tree are now the main attractions for the Christmas season in the newly-designed plaza in Mandaue City.
Mandaue City Mayor Gabriel Luis Quisumbing, Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna and the rest of the city officials gathered at the City’s park, across the City Hall, for the lighting of the decorations displayed in Barangay Centro last Wednesday night.
A short program was made before the formal lighting of the Christmas tree.
The 18 Christmas lanterns made by the barangays of the city were also hanged in the different areas of the plaza.
Aside from the department heads and city hall employees, some Mandauehanons also witnessed the activity.
Gratitude
In his speech, Quisumbing encouraged everyone to be grateful this Christmas season.
“Let us celebrate this season with pure and grateful hearts since the reason for our celebration is the coming of no less than the one and only Son of God who has been sent to this earth for each one of us,” the mayor said.
“It is, therefore, fitting that we rejoice together as one family as signified by tonight’s activity in our beloved city which is all the more illuminated by the presence of all those who mean a lot to each and everyone of us,” he added.
During the activity, the City officials awarded Barangay Cambaro with P10,000 cash for winning the first prize in the Christmas lantern contest. Cambaro’s lantern was made of indigenous materials.
Barangays Centro and Banilad were awarded as second and third prize winners.
The rest of the participating barangays received P2,500 as consolation prize.
Starting tonight, different activities will be held in the plaza.
Libraries
In line with the spirit of Christmas, the City opened two libraries intended for the children-in-conflict with the law inside the Hope of Mandaue Children’s Center (Home) in Sitio Dunggoan in Barangay Basak.
Quisumbing and Fortuna led the opening of the new libraries, one for the boys and the other for the girls.
Currently, there are already 57 children (43 males and 14 females) that are housed in Home.