The city government will celebrate anew via digital or online its upcoming 82nd foundation anniversary and 2021 Kalilangan Festival month due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
Paola Barcelona, city tourism operations officer, said Tuesday they are currently finalizing the events, activities and other preparations under the “new normal” for the annual festival, which is slated from Feb. 22 to 27.
She said these will include online shows, concerts and games that will showcase the city’s cultural diversity, history and development in the past eight decades.
This year’s theme is: “Kulturang Nagkakaisa laban sa Pandemya.”
“We’re working on some innovations to make our celebration livelier and more meaningful,” Barcelona told reporters.
She said residents may witness and join the activities via Facebook and other social media accounts of the city government, specifically through the dedicated pages of the “LGU-GenSan” and the “LGU-City Economic Management and Cooperative Development Office.”
The lined-up activities and other important updates about the celebration starting this week, she said.
Barcelona said the major activities will be conducted during the festival week but some side events will start by next week, among them a mini bazaar for selected micro, small and medium enterprises.
There are several events scheduled on Feb. 27, the city’s foundation day, but the attendees will be limited.
She cited the wreath-laying at the monument of the late Gen. Paulino Santos and the commemoration of his arrival along with the first batch of settlers on the city’s shores 82 years ago.
This is the second time that the Kalilangan Festival and the city’s foundation anniversary celebration will be held largely online.
The city government opted to just hold online activities in last year’s festivities after it canceled the crowd-drawing events due to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It also shifted to the digital mode the celebration last year of its charter anniversary in June, the Tuna Festival in September and the Paskuhan sa GenSan in December. (PNA)
facebook.com/kalilanganfestival
