IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay -- The Provincial Government of Zamboanga Sibugay is all set for the eight-day celebration marking its 16th foundation anniversary from February 17 to 24.
A parallel celebration will also be held starting February 23 until 26, the birthday of the province's founding father.
Governor Wilter Palma said the commemoration of the province’s founding day will kick off on February 16 with a medical and dental mission at the Capitol grounds.
On February 17, the opening day, a mass will be celebrated, to be followed by a parade and a program.
“We will be displaying the socio-economic development aspects of the province,” Palma said, citing the founding’s theme, which is “Sa pagbag-o, adunay kalinaw ug kalamboan (There is peace and progress in change).”
The governor did not comment on the parallel celebration to be conducted by Representative Ann Hofer (second district), daughter of the former governor George Hofer, the founding father of the province.
The office of the congresswoman also did not comment on why a parallel celebration will be held.
The activities lined up for the foundation anniversary are: agri-fishery trade fair, animal clinic, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, Binibining Sibugay, bike race, car show, cheerdance competition (high and college level), dart, DepEd night, drum and lyre competition, environment day, fiesta carnival, fire dance, free legal clinic, globe nights (band completion), jobs fair, mass graduation of farmers field school, mixed martial arts, hip-hop competition, motocross, motorcade, motor show, rave party, street dance competition, tourism queen, security, parachute/parabolic exhibition, and medical-dental-surgical mission.
Dr. Ulysses J. Chiong, chairman of the Araw ng Zamboanga Sibugay, said the 16 municipalities in the province are expected to join the agri-fishery and tourism trade fair.
Zamboanga Sibugay was created on November 17, 2000 pursuant to Republic Act 8973. It comprises 16 towns with 389 villages. It was formerly the third congressional district of Zamboanga del Sur.
The province has a total land area of 3,363.22 square kilometers or 336,332 hectares. It is divided into two districts, and based on the 2015 Census, it has a population of 633,129.
“We are looking to display the progress our province has reached at this point in its short history in this year’s celebration,” Palma said. (SunStar Philippines)