OH MY GOODNESS!

Sillag Festival 2012: 

Rekindling Hope 
and Love 

in San Fernando, 
La Union.

Written & Photographed by JUN REYNALES.

       Thunderbird Resort, San Fernando La Union, April 27-29, 2012 -- Yes, it was indeed a very hot weekend in San Fernando La Union!

        But this specially warm weekend was because of the 1st Sillag Hope Lantern & Fluvial Parade Festival that was held in Thunderbird Resort. With the resort’s splendid world-class facilities, they gladly accommodated the surge of guests, media personalities, and audiences to watch the glorious festivities that night. April 28, 2012 will be marked as the day that people from San Fernando, La Union and  other guests who trooped to watch, enjoy and had fun amidst the summer heat.

As discussed by Ms. Lani Barlongay-Macasaet, BCDA’s indefatigable Public Affairs Manager, that the word “Sillag” means of the beam of light that is seen by the seafarers as they passed by San Fernando La Union’s  historic lighthouse. Their historical lighthouse was built in Paris France an installed on the site in 1887. Now inoperable and replaced by the new lighthouse built in 1979, the location still serves indeed as a beacon of light – and hope – to all who passes by the area. With the recent festival, it rekindled the spirit of hope and love as they prepared the program in rehabilitating the existing lighthouse and shotgun house, and also turning the area as a historic museum, as the memorandum of agreement was signed by officers of the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA), Poro Point Management Corporation (PPMC) and thePhilippine Coast Guard (PCG) in the “Adopt-a-Lighthouse” project. The target completion for this rehabilitation would be before the next Sillag festivities in 2013.

         
      The celebration of the 1st Sillag Hope Lantern & Fluvial Parade was indeed hot as you feel the warmth of the people enjoying the fun of the activities – from the tradefairs, the delicious food treats and drinks, the children’s happy faces being painted with such lovely characters, to the night concerts and raffles, to the anticipated fluvial boat parade glittering in the open seas, to the launching of paper lanterns that became like jewels that glimmered in the night sky, to the fireworks demostration that lasted more than an hour in the location where it all started: the San Fernando Lighthouse.

    Can’t wait to see the 2013 festival, where the town’s fervor of hope and love is rekindled once again when we all see the beautiful lighthouse structure to stand proud and majestic once again... and still guide the wary seafarers and travelers that passes by La Union.

      Indeed... Life is Good!