Aguinaldo, Ifugao – The local government of Aguinaldo proved that one does not need to splurge on Christmas lights and decorations for an astounding display.
At first glance, the festive atmosphere at the municipal grounds of Aguinaldo cost around P1.5 million but the Municipal Tourism Officer, Benjamin Burgess Jr., revealed they only spent P400,000.
The birth of Aguinaldo’s ‘Pailaw’
Over the years, people in town used to go to neighboring municipalities to watch their annual ‘Pailaw.’ The travel not only consumes time and money, but also resulted in some individuals experiencing accidents, relayed Mayor Gaspar Chilagan Jr.
To avoid such, the local government subsequently opted to introduce its own ‘Pailaw.’
Burgess instructed Coordinator Jonaida Mahaldot to create a design concept which they eventually presented to the local council. The members, as well as Mayor Chilagan, approved the initiative.
When the idea was first presented before the public, many questioned whether the plan would come to fruition. Initially, the vendors were reluctant to showcase their products, fearing that there would not be enough attendees for the scheduled events.
Despite the hesitations and limited resources, the officials and employees united to spread the Christmas essence to the public.
Rather than hiring external help, they chose to handle the decorations and lights themselves, with the assistance of only one electrician.
After all was arranged, the public was astonished by the result.
Inclusion of offices and villages
The LGU made certain that every department, national agency, and barangays had a role to participate in their extensive Christmas Bazaar.
Since they kicked off the holiday season in style with the lighting ceremony on Dec. 01, nightly events hosted by designated offices and barangays will continue until Dec. 16, as follows:
To add an element of surprise, awards will be presented to the group that presents the most outstanding performance, along with other contested events – “Kuha Ko”, “Hapet Harmony”, and “Sayaw.”
Burgess conveyed their astonishment at the efforts exhibited by all the offices and barangays.
“Na-impress kami sa mga performers - yung cooperation, yung willingness, sacrifice, and presentations,” said the Municipal Tourism Officer.
“Next year, for sure, there will be more,” he affirmed.
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