Tagum’s happiest day

TAGUM CITY—Eighteen-year-old Katrina Solis makes sure she won’t miss the switching on of the lights that dot the 108.6-foot tall Christmas tree at the city’s park.

Never mind if it is not the tallest anymore, after it was edged out by Puerto Princesa City’s 150-foot tall Christmas tree.

“This year’s holiday tree is amazing and I must say that it continues to generate some sense of pride and excitement,” Solis said.

When the lights were officially switched on last Nov. 16, thousands of people flocked to the city plaza to watch it.

Among them was 21-year-old Robin Labra.

Labra said the city’s giant Christmas tree goes to life toward Christmas for several years now but each year, he does not miss a day watching it.

“It’s different every year and it’s just amazing that in every year that passes, it still causes me goose bumps,” he said.

The city’s giant Christmas tree is made from thin sheets of steel and wires and is adorned with 100,000 bulbs, 16,500 assorted “roof lights,” an 8.6-foot Bethlehem star, hundreds of decorations in the shape of flowers, snowflakes, angels, birds, fruits, and musical notes and staff.

It cost the city some P700,000 to build and was designed by local architects.

Mayor Rey Uy described the giant Christmas tree as the “city’s gift of hope, love and peace.”

“It also encourages everyone to magnify the true meaning of Christmas,” he said.

Alma Uy, the mayor’s wife and chair of the city tourism council, said they also wanted the giant Christmas tree to draw tourists.

That’s why city officials, with the private sector, also made sure that daily entertainment, such as musical presentations, was available to keep them coming back.

“We wanted to promote tourism here by holding many festivities,” she said.

Mayor Uy said the giant Christmas tree does not only draw Christians but people of other faiths as well.

“This is a resounding statement of a peaceful city,” he said.

The holiday structure will be lighted every night starting at 6 p.m.

The lights go off at 2 a.m., “when people are already tired and go home to take a rest for the next day,” Mayor Uy said. Dennis Jay Santos, Inquirer Mindanao