The Zamboanga City Hall (PNA file photo)
ZAMBOANGA CITY – The month-long Zamboanga Hermosa Festival kicked off on Friday, with an opening program highlighting the inauguration of a leisure park at the rehabilitated Paseo del Mar.
Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said the Paseo del Mar facilities feature a newly designed open stage, a children's playground, and a skate park, which she hopes would be a place for families to bond under the new normal.
“Our plan is to vaccinate more people so that in the future when our Covid cases are down and we are able to reach herd immunity, we can adapt to new normal activities that will allow the family safe outdoor recreation,” Salazar said.
The Paseo del Mar is a 2.5-hectare leisure park located at the back of the historical shrine of Our Lady of the Pillar. The Paseo del Mar, a slum area years ago, is the city’s newest tourist attraction.
Salazar said the newly rehabilitated Paseo del Mar is the city’s gift to all the children in the area.
The opening salvo also featured a festival countdown, performances from various artists, and the unveiling of the Mascota de Zamboanga finalists, one of the festival’s staple competitions.
Salazar assured the public that in keeping with the festival's #SafeHermosa2021, strict compliance with minimum health standards will be observed during the entire run of the celebration.
The Zamboanga Hermosa Festival culminates on October 12, during the feast day of Our Lady of the Pillar, who is the most revered saint of this city.
Meanwhile, the city government also kicked off the Pink October Month through a "Fit to Fight Virtual Zumba" event streamed on the "Gender and Development of Zamboanga City" Facebook page.
Salazar said the City Hall will also be lit in pink to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month. (PNA)
