DESPITE the ongoing health crisis, the city government of Catbalogan has lined up activities in line of its 14th year cityhood celebration.
Series of activities, some are online, have been identified to serve as highlights of the celebration that will run from June 12 to June 28, 2021.
Among these activities include the holding of clean-up drive or ‘pintakasi’ around the city, which will start on June 12, a national holiday as the country celebrates the Independence Day.
This will be followed with the ‘beachurero,” a coastal cleanup and “escubasurero”, an under water cleanup drive in sea waters within the city.
The last environmental activity for the 14th year cityhood is the environmental caravan from Catbalogan to the Samar Island Natural Park organized by the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO).
For the competition activities organized by the City Tourism, Culture, Arts, and Information Office (CTCAIO), activities will include the online ‘Siday-Sayaw’ contest on June 14 where two dancers and one poet will perform an original ‘siday’ or poem that is match with a dance number.
The digital art contest will be held on June 21 and the mini eco-Filipiniana and Eco-barong costume making contest is on June 28. The competition will use recycled and recyclable materials to be worn by miniature dolls.
Highlight of this year’s charter day anniversary is the State of City Address of Mayor Dexter Uy on June 16.
Catbalogan, the capital of Samar province, attained its cityhood on March 15, 2007 but lost temporarily after the Supreme Court granted in a 6-5 vote the petition filed by the League of Cities of the Philippines declaring the cityhood law unconstitutional.
The decision was appealed on December 10, 2008, and on December 22, 2009, the Supreme Court reversed its earlier ruling.
Aside from Catbalogan, the cities of Borongan in Eastern Samar and Baybay in Leyte will also be holding their own charter anniversaries this month. | SWE via Roel T. Amazona; photo by LGU Catbalogan City
