CHRISTMAS TAG

IMUS CITY, Cavite — This historical area has regained the tag of being the “Christmas Capital” with the colorful Yuletide lights and decoration on streets and the traditional month-long activities set at the sprawling city plaza. Thanks to the Imus Diocese and the local government for making the city great and the citizens happy with the onset of “Simbang Gabi” (Dawn Masses) and other Christmas-related events in the area. The beauty and splendor of Christmas returned to the 237-year-old city with the “Paskuhan sa Imus” set in the area. Cavite is considered the country’s oldest province after Cebu where Christianity was first brought by Spain and given the tag “Philippines’ Christmas Capital” long before Las Piñas City; City of San Fernando, Pampanga; Tarlac; and Tagum, Davao del Norte. (Anthony Giron)

FESTIVAL CITED

BALANGA CITY, Bataan — The Department of Tourism (DOT)-Region 3 has cited the annual “Ibong Dayo Festival” celebrated in this city and hinted that it may be well on its way to making the national calendar of events. The 3rd Ibong Dayo Festival held in Barangay Tortogas’ Wetland and Nature Park (BCWNP) may be enlisted in the calendar after it breached the three years needed of consecutive implementation, DOT-Region 3 Director Ronaldo Tiotuico said. Tiotuico said DOT officials were impressed by its national significance, attendance and sustainability under the leadership of Balanga City Mayor Joet Garcia. (Mar T. Supnad)

GIANT TREE

BULAKAN, Bulacan — The mood for celebration has begun to heat up in this town as Mayor Patrick F. Neil Meneses led the other night the ceremonial switch-on of the Giant Christmas tree at Plaza Del Pilar, here. Standing at 60 feet, the Christmas tree is decorated with colorful lanterns, surrounded with yellow silk fabric and adorned with dazzling Christmas lights. Hundreds of residents witnessed the switch-on ceremony. Early Christmas treats of groceries, clothes, toys and Noche Buena packages were given by the mayor to chosen families from the depressed areas. (Freddie C. Velez)

SAFETY FIRST

DAGUPAN CITY, Pangasinan — In order to avoid any untoward incidents here in the wave of holiday merry-making, local authorities have established links with firecracker and pyrotechnics traders to boost safety measures. Supt. Romeo Caramat, city police chief, and Robert Erfe-Mejia, Public Order and Safety Office (POSO) chief, held a seminar for firecracker vendors’ group members here on the guidelines for vending their combustible merchandise. Earlier, the city government announced the designation of two firecracker trading zones on Dec. 26-31 – one on A.B. Fernandez Avenue West and the other on Caranglaan Highway. (Liezle Basa Iñigo)

TIGHT SECURITY

LOS BANOS, Laguna — Tightened security in public places here is now being implemented by police as part of an ongoing campaign of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to clamp down on armed individuals. Last Saturday, a 52-year-old retired member of the Philippine Army (PA) was held by patrolling cops for possession of an illegal firearm in Barangay San Antonio, here. Chief Inspector Conrado Masongsong, Los Baños police chief, said his men seized a loaded .45-caliber pistol from Moises Maraña, a soldier-turned-junk shop owner and a resident of Sitio Sampaguita, here. (Ferdinand F. Castro)