Zamboanga City gears for Hermosa Festival 2017

A SERIES of school caravans is set to make the rounds in different campuses in Zamboanga City to promote and drum up support for the Hermosa Festival 2017.

This, as the local government has lined up activities for the festival in October that would showcase the city’s cultural heritage.

The highlight of the festival is the feast day of Our Lady of the Pillar, the most revered patron saint of the city, on October 12.

Mayor Maria Isabelle Climac-Salazar said the school caravan, a pre-fiesta campaign, officially kicked off on Wednesday, August 9, at the Zamboanga City High School-Main campus.

A short program with students during their flag ceremony was held to announce the different fiesta activities and the ways they can join and support the fiesta.

Salazar said the school caravan is spearheaded by the local government through its special events team to encourage Zamboangueño youths to take active part in this year’s Hermosa festival which is slated for the month of October.

The next stop for the school caravan is the Zamboanga City State Polytechnic College.

With just two months left until the opening salvo on October 1, Salazar said the countdown to the Hermosa Festival begins.

A sports competition and Cosechas de Zamboanga (Harvest of Zamboanga) will mark the opening salvo of the festival on October 1.

The Cosechas de Zamboanga features the different farm produce of the local farmers.

The other activities will include: Novena masses at Fort Pilar shrine, October 3 to 11, Conferencia de Cultura y Artes de Zamboanga, Zamboanga dance sport competition, Noche de bailes y Canciones, Launching of Mi Ciudad Limpiyo y Floriao, October 7; Hermosa Cheer Leading Competition, October 7, Original Chavacano video-music festival, October 7, Regatta de Zamboanga, October 8, Wow sardinas grand boodle fight, October 7, Mascota de Zamboanga, October 7, Parade of lights competition, October 8, Fiesta main program, October 11, and, Balik Zamboanga night, October 11.

Aside from school caravans, pre-fiesta activities in the villages will be held in September for the districts one and two.

A Zambassador mall tour is also in the pipeline. (Bong Garcia/SunStar Philippines)