MANDAUE City Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano confirmed that the City’s Christmas lighting ceremony is “definitely” pushing through on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.
“I guarantee that the lighting will definitely push through tomorrow,” Ouano said, adding that preparations are almost done and that they will conduct a dry run for the tree lighting on Thursday night, Nov. 27.
The mayor encouraged families and residents to visit the plaza, especially on weekends. He described the display as “a good place for families to unwind.”
The event will include a food park available for 10 days. However, the City decided against big shows or bands in consideration of the disasters Mandaue has recently faced.
The Christmas lighting will not only cover the plaza but will also include Ouano Ave. and A.C. Cortes. Ouano estimated the budget for the decorations, lights and Christmas tree at around P5 to P8 million.
“It’s modest, but we really did our best to make people happy. We’ve already gone through a lot. I just hope nothing more will come before the year ends,” he added, reflecting the City’s tone of resilience.
Department of General Services (DGS) chief Marivic Cabigas provided an update, stating that the decorations are now 95 percent complete. “Most of the remains are just the hanging and clearing of decorations,” she explained.
Cabigas said the theme design is inspired by the challenges the city has gone through this year. “The highlight is bright and sparkling because after everything we have experienced, we want to show that there is still hope,” she emphasized.
She described the display as a “wake-up call for everyone not to lose hope,” reminding the public that Christmas is a celebration of faith. She also encouraged residents who may not have time to decorate their own homes to visit the Christmas display instead, suggesting, “They can come here and take pictures with their families”.
Cabigas shared that she designed the Christmas tree to look like a ribbon. “It’s like a gift for everyone,” she concluded. / ABC