Cagayan de Oro blog

Last night at the Plaza Divisoria I saw an OBVIOUSLY pregnant woman sitting under the huge Christmas Tree. I’ve been thinking what is she doing there? Does she have no place to stay?

One of the trees with Christmas lights surrounding Golden Friendship Park.

It’s all systems go for the launching of the Halad sa Pasko 2008: Musical and Lights Festival on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008 at the Kiosko Kagawasan in Divisoria as almost 50 groups have signified interest to join the colorful lantern parade and the Christmas carol concert.

The Festival aims to strengthen community ties among Kagay-anons and harness community involvement of the various sectors in the city in spreading goodwill especially during the Christmas. It is also aimed at showcasing the talents of the residents in the City.

The lantern parade starts at 5:30 p.m. around the Golden Friendship Park with the 4th ID band taking the lead of the parade while a musical concert shortly follows at the Kiosko Kagawasan. The contingents, who will be bringing lanterns and any lighted Christmas symbols, will be led by City Mayor Constantino G. Jaraula, Vice Mayor Vicente Y. Emano and all City Officials, Regional Directors, Pastors, School Heads and Officials of various organizations of the city.

After Vice Mayor Emano and City Tourism Board chair Josy Alinabon give their messages, a blowing of siren will signal the lighting of the giant CEPALCO Christmas Tree, trees and Christmas lights of establishments surrounding Golden Friendship Park . Mayor Jaraula and District ll Congressman Rufus Rodriguez are also expected to deliver their messages, which will be followed by a concert of Christmas carols by the choral groups of various government agencies, organizations, schools and churches.

A magnificent and fabulous fireworks display and community singing will cap the evening of music and lights in Divisoria.

The City Tourism Board and the Local Government of Cagayan de Oro warmly invites the public and families not to miss the spectacular event as the Golden Friendship Park will glow with Christmas lights and reverberate with Christmas carols. by Ian A. Fuentes/city Information Office

Part of Pabayo Street, approaching divisoria, was closed to vehicular traffic to pave way for the City’s “Night Cafe”.

Pueblo Monument at Divisoria Plaza (Golden Friendship Park).

The giant fountain at the Gaston Park will have a facelift within this year.

This was bared today by Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Constantino G. Jaraula after Archbishop Antonio S. Ledesma expressed his support to the city government’s plan to redesign the giant fountain at the city’s Gaston Park, which is located near the Cathedral Church and Archbishop Palace.

Speaking before City Hall officials and employees during Monday’s flag raising ceremony, Mayor Jaraula said that the city government is now working out with the project’s design and concept that is somehow similar to the latest technology used by experts in designing the world-famous ‘dancing fountains” in Las Vegas, USA.

Mayor Jaraula hopes that redesigning the giant fountain at the Gaston Park will boost Cagayan de Oro City’s image as an ideal investment and tourism destination in this part of the country. According to Mayor Jaraula, the state-of-the-art ‘dancing fountain’ will feature a spectacular and excellent display of water and lights that will surely provide great amazement and breathtaking view to the residents, visitors and tourists.

As an added tourism attraction, Mayor Jaraula is also planning to develop the old water tower near the Gaston Park into a city museum and archives center.

Under his refurbishment plan, the city mayor envisioned to construct a spiral steel stairway as a main passage in going atop the tower that will have a reinforced viewing deck to provide a 360-degree panoramic view of the city to would-be sightseers and visitors.

A glass-enclosed elevator will also be installed on either side of the water tower in order to give its façade a modern look and design, aside from giving convenience to the tourists and visitors in the museum and archives center which will be located in the lower portion of the tower.

The three-to-four storey water tower is considered as one of the oldest edifice in Cagayan de Oro City as it was built in the 1920’s and survived the aerial bombardment of Japanese warplanes during the World War ll era.

According to Mayor Jaraula, the development of the old water tower into a city museum and archives center will showcase a wide range of collections of memento, documents and records which has relevant historical and cultural value on the past of Cagayan de Oro City.

Aside from safekeeping valuable historical records and materials as an archives center of the city government, the City Mayor hopes that the conversion of the old water tower into a modern structure will also relive its significance in the city’s rich history of the past.

The development of a new city museum and archives center will also help educate our schoolchildren, students and youth of today’s generation on the importance and significance in tracing back the experiences and lifestyles of their elders, Mayor Jaraula concluded.

The mayor’s plan came when Cagayan de Oro City was chosen as Mindanao host in the 2008 National Archives Day celebration set on October 21, 2008. The city’s hosting is a joint undertaking of the city government through the efforts of Mayor Jaraula and Monsignor Rey Manuel S. Monsanto of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro, who is a member of the Executive Council of the National Archives Committee (NCA) of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).
by Ian A. Fuentes/ City Information Office

Gaston Park, Cagayan de Oro City

A walk in the Gaston Park early afternoon.
It is located near the Saint Augustine Cathedral and Archbishop’s Palace.