1 year after Odette: Capitol to light Christmas Tree to send message of hope
The Cebu Provincial Capitol | CDN Digital File
CEBU CITY, Philippines – A Christmas tree of hope and unity.
This is the message the Cebu Provincial Government wants to convey as it sets to hold its annual Christmas Tree lighting event this December 16.
The tree lighting ceremony also falls on the first anniversary of Typhoon Odette, internationally known as Rai, which battered the island province in 2021.
But Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia said they want to highlight “hope and unity” and not on “misery and hardship” during the Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
“So rather than commemorate or dwell upon the misery and the hardship that we went through, we would wish on this 16th of December to send out a message of hope and unity,” she told reporters in a recent press briefing.
The governor also confirmed that they have invited all local officials in Cebu, including the mayors of the tri-cities – Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, and Mandaue – to attend the upcoming event.
“Where there is unity, there is hope. And when there is hope, there is unity,” Garcia added.
Cebu, particularly the southern portions of the province, was one of the areas that took the brunt of Typhoon Odette.
The typhoon claimed over 400 lives in the country, of which at least 100 are from Cebu. Odette also left billions worth of damages in infrastructure and agriculture here.
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