It has been a rousing week, right on cue from the week before.
An Enchanting Baguio Christmas, our version of Christmastime in Baguio this year, has rolled off to a rollicking start last December First. City officials led by our Mayor Benjie pressed buttons and rang bells to signal the switch on rites lighting up a recreated Christmas Tree, bedecked with the Season’s flower (poinsettia) and spruced in green backdrop. Immediately after, Session Road and other major thoroughfares, including center-islands and the buildings along the way burst in simultaneous illumination, showcasing the varied Christmas decors that drew up a panorama of multi-sensory sensation of sights, sounds, and thrills very much Christmassy all around.
Today, the PMA Nutcracker Parade takes centerstage, giving city folks and visitors alike a unique show typical of the Philippine Military Academy, in tandem with Ballet Baguio, for a special performance that promises to raise further the quality of Christmas events lined up throughout December all the way to the first week of the New Year. Truly, everything happening now inexorably leads to expedriencing an Enchanting Baguio Christmas — a Christmas package that has been meticulously conceptualized and curated for everyone to drool, the old and the young, the loved ones and the ones loved.
In detail, today’s cavalcade has nomenclatures the likes of which have never been done: March of the Soldiers, a parade by the PMA Corps of Cadets down Session Road up to Rose Garden; PMA Glee Club, a Christmas Serenade at the Rose Garden; Silent Drill at the Melvyn Jones playing field nearby; The Nutcracker Excerpts, a dance production with the Ballet Baguio. All these will take place from mid-afternoon till mid-evening. Enough time for a stroll down at Rose Garden.
Speaking of which, a clarification is in order in view of some disturbing reports that have unfortunately tried to dampen the enveloping Christmas spirit. Due to well-curated selling at the Christmas Fair, questions have been raised if the project merely disguises another money-making project masquerading as something else but a trade fair.
No, it isn’t a trade fair, the likes of which have given trade fairs the bad name it has carried all through the years, mainly because what have taken place are nothing but cheap tolda-tolda type of selling activities of products like stolen cellphones, wearable stuff from ukay-ukay outlets, and even household wares like kaldero, plato etc.
Walk around, dearie, and see the stuff carefully chosen at the chalet outlets used by well-screened exhibitors whose sponsorship did help a bit for us to fund sundry fun, entertainment, and family-oriented activities aligned towards bringing about the enchanting Baguio Christmas wished for everyone.
To the last man and woman invaluably sharing sponsorship, they complied with the regulations put in place, making sure that products sold, as an incidental but not principal feature, do not offer undue competition to city market retailers.
All, except for one who has been insisting to sell stuff like bonnets, jackets, sweaters, and other merchandise that hardly adds to what can make Christmas in Baguio several standards up from the run-of-the-mill baratilyo and tiangge. Since her and our objectives are mismatched in more ways than one, she had been given the exit papers, refunded for sponsorship rights duly paid for, less basic utilities actually consumed.
And while at it, let it be emphasized that sponsorship fees, not rental charges, are shared by the exhibitors who were simply availing of the marketing opportunity to complement the ambiance that a European-themed Christmas Market, much in vogue in Europe, exudes. If at all, selling Christmas stuff is not to make money for the poor exhibitor who were given sponsorship rights in exchange for a chalet space and other media values. In our humble but well-considered view, we are not violating the trade fair ordinance simply because it’s not a trade fair that is going on there. We hope that’s fair enough for all concerned.
As for the anti-liquor ordinance, we told the outlets selling the stuff to desist doing so. We are not against anyone imbibing the stuff to his heart’s content, but parks are no place to do that. Admittedly, this incident happened right under everyone’s perfumed noses. A day after this was confirmed to us, we put an end to intoxicating activities and even requested the police station nearby to monitor and apprehend, if need be. Happily, no such incidence has taken place since then.
It’s bad enough that minor infractions like these are taking place where they shouldn’t. But what is worse, disappointingly worse, is how all-knowing, self-righteous detractors have gone on a bashing mode, especially through our easy-to-post social network wallsites, casting aspersions and assaulting reputations like no other’s business. Please naman! We at the Baguio Tourism Council have no pretensions of being the best in managing tourism festivals. It’s all about pure energy, creativity, dedication, and honest-to-goodness hard work done as a team. It’s called Team Better Baguio.
To be sure, there are issues and concerns that need clarification, and we are not difficult to talk to; neither are we difficult to talk to anyone. We’re all in kindred spirit here, striving hard to spread Christmas cheers the best way we can. We may not be good enough, but we surely are doing just that: to give us all a memorable, enchanting Baguio Christmas worth our enduring remembrance.
Peace be with you in this Season of Love, Joy, and Merriment. Merry Christmas folks!
