Davao Norte brave rains for Independence Day fete

By Jeanevive D. Abangan

Wednesday 13th of June 2012

TAGUM CITY, Davao del Norte, June 12 (PIA) -- Early morning rains failed to douse the patriotic spirit of various social sectors who participated in 114th Philippine Independence Day celebrations in the province.

In Panabo City, participants to the Independence Day civic parade got drenched in rain as they walked about two kilometers from the new City Hall in barangay J.P. Laurel to various places in the city including the old City Hall, Panabo City Museum and Bulwagan Center.

Among the civic parade participants were the personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and the Philippine Army, KARANCHO members, church and religious groups, REACT, high school students, heads of national line agencies, city government employees.

Aside from the raising of the Philippine National Flag and wreath laying, the event was made more lively and colorful by cultural dance rendition by Curay Dance and Art Workshop which performed the “Pagpupugay sa Pilipinong Bayani” at the Bulwagan Center.

The city government of Panabo gave out umbrellas, which can double as walking stick, to 45 World War II veterans and their families of those who lost their lives in the war.

In Tagum City, the celebration began with Misa ng Kalayaan at the Parish of the Christ The Eucharist King. About 3,000 students, school officials from five public high school and three public elementary schools joined the Parada sa Kalayaan. The Department of Education (DepEd) Tagum City Schools Division was lead organizer of the event.

Participating schools were Tagum City National Comprehensive High School, La Filipina National High School, Laureta National High School, Pilot Elementary School, Emelda Elementary School and Rizal Elementary School

Highlighting this year’s Philippine Independence Day celebration in Tagum City was the showcasing of various Tagumenyo talents in singing, poem, balagtasan, cultural dances and song interpretations.

“Many songs were sung in Visayan but the messages are all about love of country,” said Darwin Suyat, Tagum City DepEd special event coordinator.

The event was capped with the placing of Philippine flaglets in the artistically structured Philippine map made out of banana trunks.

The Tagum City government also organized on June 11 a Kalayaan Jobs Fair, which was a pre-Independence Day event held in cooperation with NCCC Mall of Tagum with the supervision of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Davao del Norte provincial field office.

In the Island Garden City of Samal, City Information Officer Melrose Arig described the city’s celebration as lively with songs, poems, cultural dance and musical interpretation rendered by city government employees.

Participants were saved from the cold rain as the Independence Day celebration in Samal City was entirely done at the city gymnasium. (PIA-11/Jeanevive Duron-Abangan)