Lighting of lanterns to mark ASEAN’s 50th

Cagayan de Oro will join 50 other cities around the country in lighting the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) landmark lantern marking the 50th ASEAN anniversary at 7 pm today, August 8, at the Kiosko Kagawasan, Divisoria .

Some 76 local government units (LGUs) throughout the country will switch on 57 lanterns simultaneously today.

The lantern lighting is also one of the core events of the month-long celebration of Higalaay Festival.

“Aside from the Asean lantern, we will also light our own Cagayan de Oro lantern designed by artists in the city. We Kagay-anons should be proud of this because out of the 140 cities, Cagayan de Oro is chosen and tasked to light up these special lanterns,” City Administrator Dionnie Gersana said.

President Rodrigo Duterte will also light a giant lantern on the grounds of the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay City on Aug. 8.

Aside from Cagayan de Oro, Davao City’s Osmena Park will be

similarly lighted up by a lantern. “Ang tema sa event is ‘CdeO, ASEAN, and more to come’, this is more or less one of the biggest activity in celebrating our fiesta this year,” he added.

To celebrate Asean’s 50th, a job fair will also be held near the Bonifacio Monument for the first time in Divisoria for job seekers at around 9 am until 5 pm today.

The city will also host a mural painting at the JR Borja Monument, storytelling, cultural shows in the different universities here, and fireworks display at 7pm. Elena Gomez, MSU-Marawi intern