BY GERRY PAGHARION
ROXAS City — “We Capiceños are such a blessed people.”
This was what Mayor Angel Alan Celino, standing on the balcony of his office at the city hall, told the crowd gathered at the Roxas Public Plaza in the evening of December 6 for the activities on the first day of Sinadya sa Halaran.
Provincial Capitol officials led by Gov. Victor Tanco Sr. have the same sentiment as Celino’s.
A banner with the words “Thank you, Lord” was hung at the building’s balcony.
The government officials were grateful for the fact that Typhoon “Pablo,” which claimed lives and destroyed properties in several areas in northern Mindanao and nearby regions, spared Capiz.
The state weather bureau forecasted that the typhoon, considered as the strongest to hit the country this year, will affect the province and the entire Western Visayas on the eve of Sinadya sa Halaran on December 5.
But the typhoon trailed the tip of the Negros Island in the south and did not affect the region.
Celino earlier declared that the opening of the festival on Thursday will push through, rain or shine.
ACTIVITIES
A seafood fair in front of the Roxas City Hall on Thursday night had attracted a number of revelers, who were also treated in the Sinadya sa Halaran Solid-Kawasaki Fiesta in the CITI Band and Standup Comedy.
It was opened at 6 p.m., along with the Christmas village featuring a giant Christmas tree, which set the city plaza aglow.
The festival opening started with an 8 a.m. Mass at the Immaculate Conception Metropolitan Cathedral.
Street dances started to enliven the occasion at 10 a.m. at the city plaza. The DTI’s SME Fair and Tiangge sa Paskwa were also opened.
A drum and lyre competition and the Sadsad sa Plaza followed at 1:30 p.m. The matinee for the localized production of a Shakespearean classic titled “Damgo sa Gab-i, sa Tungang Adlaw” was shown at the Capiz gym.
