TAGUM CITY—Fun. Vibrant. Colorful.
These are the words that best describe this year’s design of the Giant Christmas Tree of the City of Tagum, which the local government tagged as the tallest Christmas Tree in the Philippines with a towering height of 182 feet.
Tagumenyos flocked to the City Hall Grounds Sunday evening, November 18, 2018, to witness the annual lighting spectacle staged by the City Government of Tagum which officially kicked off its month-long Paskuhan sa Tagum festivities.
The city’s Christmas icon is bedecked with 232,400 rice bulbs and rope lights and other decors pertaining to the recognitions harvested by the city, and some icons of the mega infrastructure projects of the LGU this year.
Ten layers constitute this Christmas Tree, representing the developmental thrusts of the local government dubbed as EAGLE WINGS. A 12-ft giant star sits atop this tree, surrounded by 23 stars in reference to the 23 barangays of Tagum.
In his message, Mayor Allan L. Rellon said the city has plenty of reasons to be thankful for, on top of the successes of the individual families of Tagumenyos.
“Daghan ang mga rason nga kita magpasalamat sa Labaw nga Makagagahum, hilabi na sa mga kadaugan nga atong napagtagumpayan isip syudad. As we gaze the beautiful lights of this year’s Giant Christmas Tree, may we be reminded of the goodness of our Lord Who makes all things perfect in His appointed time.”
Most Rev. Bishop Medil Aseo of the Diocese of Tagum, who led the blessing ceremony of the city’s holiday icon, gave emphasis on the importance of the birth of Jesus Christ, as symbolized by the lights of the giant structure.
For starters, Tagum has been mounting this icon since the start of the new millennium, and the annual lighting ceremony is drawing mammoth crowds, with this year generating an estimated 20,000 people consisting of Tagumenyos and residents from nearby towns and cities.
For the first time, the picturesque foxtail palm trees lining up the avenue leading to the City Hall are also bedecked with lights, with support from the private sector which participated in the “Adopt a Tree” program of the LGU through the City Tourism Office.
This year also saw the transformation of the City Hall compound with the addition of Instagram-worthy attractions like the Sunflower Garden and the installation of a miniature castle.Department heads of LGU Tagum also made Sunday’s lighting ceremony more colorful as they paraded with their Disney costumes.
The Giant Christmas Tree of Tagum comes to life every 6 PM until 12 midnight until January 2019. (Louie Lapat/CIO Tagum)
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