JOYOUS DAY | The well-lit and colorful Christmas village setup on the shore of Sumlang Lake in Camalig, Albay, brings joy to tourists during its opening on Thursday to signal the return of tourism activities in the town. (Photo by MICHAEL B. JAUCIAN / Inquirer Southern Luzon)
CAMALIG, Albay, Philippines — Santa Claus, or at least someone dressed as him, cheerily chatted with kids amid the well-lit and newly opened Christmas village in this town, as hundreds of local tourists posed with their camera phones and took selfies around the famous Sumlang Lake on Thursday.
“Each Christmas display here is amazing and really perfect for taking selfie and groupie photos,” tourist Kristine Nicole Neric said.
The tourists came from different towns in Albay province to see the ceremonial lighting of the Christmas village at a lakeshore area of the lake in Sumlang village on Thursday.
The illuminated giant Christmas trees, tunnel of lights, huge sugar canes and lollipops, and colorful lanterns hanging from trees in the area were all made of abaca fiber.
Barangay Sumlang spent P1.5 million to create the Christmas village, which the residents hoped would bring more tourists back to Sumlang Lake.
Long preparation
Sumlang Lake, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, was one of the newest tourist destinations of the town. It was known as one of the best places to view the majestic Mayon Volcano, offering a breathtaking panorama perfect for photographs.
The Christmas village, intended as an annual event, was first done in 2019 but was halted after the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
It was set up some five meters from the lake’s bank and took over half a year to prepare, said the village chief, Felipe Noe Morin Napa Jr.
“Actually, it was a long preparation and it took us six months in decorating the whole area, but the best part of it is that our tiredness was relieved upon seeing the happy faces of the people visiting the place,” Napa said in an interview on Thursday.
Napa said the Christmas village was the perfect instrument in the town’s economic recovery efforts by giving employment to villagers through tourism activities.
At the area surrounding the Christmas village, four stalls were offering street food, meat barbeque and other kinds of local delicacies.
Napa said they would welcome more small businesses to set up stalls at the Christmas village.
Stress buster
A P100 per head entrance fee is also being charged at the gate to the lake area for maintenance but most of the proceeds will be used by the village for future projects.
“Tourism is badly hit by the pandemic and we really need to come up with this kind of activity to provide livelihood, to provide more jobs to the community,” Napa stressed.
During the past two years, Camalig’s tourism industry lost P70 million due to travel bans and lockdowns.
For tourist Jasper Ian Sepria, the setup of the Christmas village with the theme of candy factory makes him very happy.
“It is a stress buster and a great venue for bonding with family and friends. Considering there are lots of food stalls to try and of course the surrounding is fresh and clean,” Sepria said.
—MICHAEL B. JAUCIAN
RELATED STORIES
3-km Christmas ‘tunnel of lights’ switched on in Albay
Northern Samar lights up giant Christmas tree