"Paz, Amor y Alegria" - Peace, Love and Joy! It's the season that we all look forward most. This year's theme for the Christmas Festival in Zamboanga City is simply "I Love Zamboanga City" which encourages each and every Zamboangueño to love their city and family each day. The decors which were designed and installed by the City General Services Office is centered on that theme with hearts as the main symbol. The City Hall is studded with colorful lights and heart-shaped lanterns with giant gifts at the frontage. At the center is the nativity scene, which is the essence of the Christmas celebration - the birth of Jesus Christ.



The Christmas lights display was officially switched on last November 23, Friday, and thousands came to witness the ceremony led by the City Mayor, Beng Climaco. Amazement and joy was felt when the lights turned on accompanied by happy Christmas carols. Bring your love ones and come and see them for yourself starting 6PM til 12 midnight. Take a selfie at the heart tunnels and don't forget to share it online using the hashtags #PascuaNaZamboanga and #iLoveZamboangaCity. Here are some of my shots during the Grand Switch-on Ceremony.






If Cebu has 10,000 illuminated flowers, Zambo has a field of glowing hearts located at Plaza Rizal, Plaza Pershing and Paseo del Mar.


Few moments til the Grand Switch-on!


A huge heart displayed at the Plaza Vicente Alvarez


View from Plaza Vicente Alvarez


City Hall at dusk


And its On! Look at those beautiful lights!


The field of hearts and heart canopies at Plaza Pershing


Heart tunnels at Plaza Pershing and the stage with "Pascua na Zamboanga" letterings


Little kiddo can't help but touch the glowing hearts


Beautiful heart tunnels! People just wanna have selfies here!


Love love love!


Simply breath-taking!


My favorite angle of them all! Don't forget to take your photos from this angle!

In line with the celebration of the 81st Dia de la Ciudad de Zamboanga, the City Government of Zamboanga organized the annual Zamboanga Film Festival to recognize the stories of Zamboanga through the medium of cinematography and animation. The competition has two categories: Live Action and Animation. Ten finalists for each category will be judged by a panel of film experts and the best film will receive P10,000 and a plaque. The films will be screened at Centro Latino Theater Room from February 19 to 23, 2018 on these times: 9AM, 12NN, 3PM and 6PM. Schools were invited to watch the films and right after every screening, the viewers will vote for their favorite films. The films with the highest number of votes will be awarded with the Viewers Choice Award. Special awards will also be given during the Awards Night on February 25 at Centro Latino. The special awards for the Live Action category are: Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design and Most Culturally-sensitive Film. And for the animation category, the special awards are: Best Director, Best Animator, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, Best Character Design, and Most Culturally-sensitive film. All winners will receive a plaque and a cash prize of P1,500. Here are the finalists for the Zamboanga Film Festival 2018. Live Action Category Finalists: "Goddess" by Jeremias Al-ag Dulaca III "Loop" by Robi Brian Kang "Silip (Peek)" by Mike Aaron Banguis "Pag-ibig lang ang Meron Tayo" by Kim Tayona "Globo (Balloon)" by Tennyl Dehm Canlas "Manchao (Stained)" by Jonathan Andalahao "Baka Sakali" by Jezreel Paul Nuñal "Ocaso" by Mica Ruste "Badusa (Sinners)" by Khadija Zubair Ahamed Kabeer "Esta" by Sunshine Benitez Enhorabuena! #ZFF2018 ZFF 2018 Animation Category Finalists: "Behind Closed Doors" by Jorzheema J.i. Hamid "Fuego (Fire)" by Ian Kenneth Baradeade "Is It My Turn?" by Joshua Nacionales "Si Ongka, El Aspin (Ongka, The Aspin)" by Frantz Sucro "The Promise" by Hazel Rosie Bayaras "Cast" by Khaled Majid "Peacekeeper" by Joshua del Cruz "Karoshi" by Megan Dayak "Peste (Pest)" Kendrick Fernandez "With Colors" by Dariel Dryan Tadus

Dia di Cesar which marks the 31st death anniversary of Mayor Cesar C. Climaco kicked off Friday, Nov. 13 with the Boy and Girl Scouts vigil at the Climaco Freedom Park in Abong-abong Pasonanca at 6:30pm. On Saturday, Nov. 14, the event started with a commemorative mass at the Pasonanca Parish Church to be attended by City Government officials and employees, members of the Climaco family and representatives from the different sectors.

The mass was followed by the wreath-laying and commemorative program at the Climaco Freedom Park in Abong-abong, Pasonanca which will be highlighted by the unveiling of the CCC Installation Art and the Poster-making contest. This year's theme, "Create. Cultivate. Connect." aims to share the legacy of the iconic Mayor to the next generation.




Youth from boy scouts filled the installation with thoughts and drawings guided by the questions that were posted in each panel.




Cesar Climaco, the uncle of incumbent Mayor Beng Climaco, served as the city’s chief executive for 11 years during which he was an outspoken critic against corruption and in particular against the martial law regime of then President Ferdinand Marcos. His assassination on November 14, 1984 in Gov. Alvarez Street remains unsolved up to this time.



"I want to stop illegal logging..", "I want to achieve my goals and aspirations..."


The commemoration of the Dia di Cesar every November 14 is pursuant to an ordinance approved by the City Council with the aim of perpetuating the memory of the legendary mayor.


"Don't leave Zamboanga City."


"I want to be with my parents til the last breath of my life..."



Cesar Cortes Climaco was born on February 28, 1916 to Gregoria Climaco and Isabelita Cortes. He had 2 brothers and 2 sisters- Rafael a lawyer who became a Justice in the Court of Appeals; Jose or Jolly also a lawyer who became vice-mayor of Zamboanga and whose daughter Beng is now the incumbent mayor; Leticia, who married a prominent physician in the city, Dr. Espiridion Alvarez; and Lydia.


"Create better scouts for a better Zambonaga City..."



Cesar’s political career began when he ran for the City Council in 1953, an election which he won overwhelmingly. It was in the same year that he was designated as Mayor of Zamboanga. In 1954, he became the Chief Project Manager and Field Coordinator of Operation Brotherhood in Vietnam, a position which he served until 1955, and which won him international recognition.



He came back to Zamboanga in 1956 and ran in the first election ever held for the position of mayor in the city. Cesar went up against an appointive Mayor, Hector Suarez, and had for his running mate Dr. Tomas Ferrer under the banner of the Liberal Party. Cesar won in that election, giving him the distinction of being the first elected mayor of Zamboanga City.



Cesar Climaco served as mayor from 1953-1954; 1956-1961 and 1980- 1984.





The CCC Installation art is designed and conceptualized by Cedrick S. Zabala and made possible by the General Services Office headed by Arch. Rizamay Basing.