BAMBINO FEST. Devotees of the Sto. Niño or the Child Jesus join the parade of the 19th Bambino Festival in Pasig City on Sunday. Around 6,000 devotees participated in the event. (Barangay San Antonio photo)
MANILA --As the country celebrated the Santo Niño Festival on Sunday, around 6,000 people from all the 30 barangays in Pasig City joined the grand parade of the Bambino Festival --- its own version of honoring the Child Jesus.
Bambino means “a baby or young child.”
The 19th Bambino Festival, which is in honor of the young Jesus Christ, is the grandest cultural celebration of Pasig City. It is included in the calendar of activities of the Department of Tourism (DOT).
All the 30 barangays in the city took part, displaying their beautiful floats carrying different images of the Sto. Niño. Some floats even used sweets like a lollipop to decorate them. The barangays were clustered into parishes.
Barangay San Antonio, one of participating barangays and belong to the Holy Family Parish headed by Rev Fr. Roy Rosales, outstood the other participants as they have 200 delegates and their float was decorated with flowers such as orchids.
They also have cultural dancers clad in black and green with headdresses, like in Cebu City.
Barangay San Antonio chairman Raymond Lising said the Bambino Festival brings together Pasig residents as one big happy family grateful to God for all the graces He has bestowed to His people.
“Ang Sto. Niño ay tinuturuan tayo (The Sto. Niño is teaching us) to become a child once again na mapagpatawad (to be forgiving), simple, masunurin (obedient), self-less, at mapagmahal (and caring). Nawa ay tularan natin ang batang Jesus (Let us be like the young Jesus), let us be like children,” Lising added.
During the event, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto gave candies and chocolates to the devotees as their floats passed by the stage.
There were also residents that gave candies to children joining the parade.
Close to a thousand images of the Sto. Niño from the city’s 30 barangays and 15 parishes paraded around five to six-kilometer route from City Hall to the Immaculate Conception Cathedral.
After the convergence in the plaza, the images of the Sto. Niños were brought to the Immaculate Conception Cathedral as the Bishop blessed them.
Eastern Police District (EPD) director Johnson Almazan said a number of police and force multipliers were deployed to secure the parade route and ensure the safety of the participants in the event, which lasted for more than four hours.
The Bambino Festival was first celebrated during the administration of then late Pasig mayor Soledad Eusebio. It highlights the significance of the Blessed Child in the lives of the Pasigueños.
It was conceptualized over a decade ago to allow the city residents to have a celebration of their own that will honor the Sto. Niño. (PR)
