Marian holiday in Antipolo

ANTIPOLO CITY, Rizal — Residents here will have all the time to celebrate the city fiesta tomorrow as Malacañang declared December 8 as a special non-working day in the entire city.

With the authority of President Aquino, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa signed Presidential Proclamation Number 1172 declaring December 8 as special non-working day in the entire city to give the people of the city to enjoy and celebrate the festivities marking the city’s 424th foundation day and city fiesta in honor of the Immaculate Concepcion.

Various activities in line with the month-long festivities to celebrate the holiday season and the city fiesta in this city known as the Pilgrimage Capital City of the Country are now bringing entertainment to the hundreds of tourists and pilgrims visiting this place since the start of the month.

Today, December 7, visitors who will come to this city for their pilgrimage at the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage will hear music from the sound of the drums, lyres and trumpets as marching bands with graceful dancing of majorettes leading the march and members of the drum and lyre bands of various schools here roaming the streets in the city proper.

Tomorrow night, Mayor Casimiro “Junjun” Ynares, III will lead local and provincial officials in unveiling the more than 30-foot Christmas Tree, made of recycled materials, at the Sumulong Park, a promenade park located in front of the cathedral.

Yesterday, the first Sunday of December, several bus loads of pilgrims and tourists visited the city and experienced the cool breeze that usually fills the surrounding during December until January.

Old folks who are fond of the classical music would enjoy watching the brass bands as the musicians performed the annual “Serenata: Harana para sa Mahal na Ina” on the eve of the December 8 fiesta, also at Sumulong Park of the city.