Lantern, landmark tilt winners known
Mayor Celso Lobregat and members of the LDP-Adelante Zamboanga Party members pose with the winners in the lantern competition tilt, one of the highlights of the 2009 Pascua na Zamboanga. The awarding rites were held at the Paseo del Mar, Dec. 16. (JOEY BAUTISTA)
Pascua de Zamboanga 2009 culminated December 16 with the awarding of the winners in the lantern and landmark competitions, two of the most awaited and talked about activities every December.
Mayor Celso Lobregat, upon arrival from Manila Wednesday afternoon, proceeded to Paseo del Mar for the awarding of the prizes and plaques to the winners.
Barangay Tugbungan retained its title as over-all winner in the best landmark competition with a cash prize of P50,000. Second placer was barangay Pasonanca with P40,000 prize; third placer was barangay Recodo with P30,000 prize; fourth placer was Talisayan with P20,000 while Sta. Maria ended fifth with P10,000 cash prize.
The best landmark contest was a competition of ingenuity, creativity, design and attraction. The competition was set out to generate ideas for a major landmark that will serve as a center of attraction in a specific barangay or community.
In the lantern competition, Elmer Alama (entry # 3) emerged as the first placer while Ronald Quibilan (entry # 1) was second placer. Third placer was Erwin Rodriguez (entry # 5), fourth place was Robinson Francisco (entry # 4) while Romeo de la Cruz (entry # 9) ended fifth place.
Almost 20 entries were submitted for the lantern competition and similar number also submitted for the best landmark competition.
The lantern and landmark competitions were part of the main highlights for the 2009 Pascua na Zamboanga, the most celebrated festival initiated by the city government every year.
The festival comprised of numerous activities and competitions that included Hechos de Zamboanga, a Christmas Trade Fair and Exhibit from Dec. 8-19 (8am to 5pm) at the Plaza Pershing; Canciones de Pascua, a Christmas chorale competition held Dec. 11 at 5 p.m. at the Paseo del Mar; Best Dressed in Sta. Claus costume competition held Dec. 13 at 10 a.m. as a side show in the Tzu Chi Mega Fair at the Garden Orchid Convention Center and the Awarding ceremony for the open lantern competition and best Christmas landmark competition Dec. 16.
Pascua is a chabacano word which means Christmas, the celebration of the nativity of Jesus Christ. In most churches, the Bible readings and the sermons during Christmas season concern the birth of Christ, the slaughter of the innocents, the flight to Egypt, and other related events.
In the Philippines, the Christmas season begins on the 16th of December which marks the start of the Misa de Aguinaldo or Misa de Gallo, the 9-day series of pre-dawn masses. (Sheila Covarrubias)