The Sunflower Garden, the newest addition to the tourism destinations in Tagum City, was inaugurated in front of the New City Hall on Nov. 12.
Already identified as the City of Parks, it is no longer a surprise that another one will rise in the capital city of Davao del Norte.
In the beginning, a temporary sunflower hill was opened for public. Surprisingly, Tagumenyos and even people from nearby towns started to frequent the place. The picture-perfect scene captivated the people’s attention and became viral on social media which sparked the idea of developing the area.
Tagum City Mayor Allan L. Rellon accompanies Rev. Fr. Reynaldo E. Biliran during the blessing and inauguration of the Sunflower Garden in front of the New City Hall of Tagum on November 12. (Carlo Abellana/CIO Tagum)
The area was planted with 8,500 yellow-corona seedless variety of sunflower with 0.3 meter distance from each hill. Life-expectancy of the said variety is only a month or approximately 30 to 35 days from the sprouting of seeds to its full maturity. The flower diameter measures around 18-21 centimetres.
During the unveiling ceremony, Mayor Allan L. Rellon said the people behind this newest attraction exhausted every means to deliver the best for Tagumenyos.
He said the city government is open for bookings of the Sunflower Garden for proposals, pre-nuptials and weddings.
Meanwhile, the city government’s Holiday Tree is slated to be lit on Nov. 18. Everyone is enjoined to witness the lighting where the department heads of the LGU will be in Disney character costumes. (JP Cordovero/CIO Tagum)
House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, who has threatened to spank Davao del Norte Governor Anthony G. del Rosario for reportedly opposing construction of a P1.8 billion flyover project in Tagum City, has found an ally in Mayor Allan Rellon.
Tagum City Mayor Rellon said he is supporting Speaker Alvarez on the fly-over, the first billion-peso project in his city.
During an interview at City Hall, Mayor Rellon was however evasive and did not respond when asked if he is also supporting Speaker Alvarez on his threat to spank the governor.
Akong tamparoson ang kinsa man ang mokontra niini nga proyekto ( I will spank whoever will oppose this project), earlier said Speaker Alvarez after Gov. del Rosario said the project was not included in the province’s Annual Implementing Plan (AIP).
Members of the media apparently siding with the Speaker drummed up the governor’s statement as an opposition to the project.
The flyover project could not be found in the Davao del Norte AIP because it is a national project implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
And contrary to the Speaker’s claim that he sought funds for the project, the flyover project has long been recommended by the Regional Development Council (RDC) and proposed during the Aquino administration long before Alvarez became Speaker.
There is no surprise if Mayor Rellon is backing Speaker Alvarez on the flyover issue against Gov. del Rosario.
Alvarez, who is seeking reelection in 2019 for the Davao del Norte First District seat in Congress, has already picked reelectionist Mayor Rellon for his line-up that includes Vice Governor Allan Dujali running against Second District congressman Tonyboy Floirendo.
Mayor Rellon will be facing former Compostela Valley Governor and now ComVal Senior Board Member Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy, who will be supported by Floirendo and Gov. del Rosario.
Speaker Alvarez’s reelection was expected to be contested by either former Governor Rodolfo del Rosario or his estranged wife Emily.
Speaker Alvarez’s political stock took a fatal nosedive this week after Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte, said she would campaign against the Speaker in the coming election.
The lady mayor dimmed the Speaker’s reelection following his attack on the recently-launched Hugpong ng Pagbabago, a regional party organized by Mayor Duterte-Carpio.
Speaker Alvarez may also lose the House speakership before 2019 with Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio urging members of the House to kick out Alvarez as Speaker.
The mayor said that Speaker Alvarez has become a liability to the nation and the administration of President Duterte.
What is touted as the world’s longest and largest rosary in Tagum City, Davao del Norte in Mindanao in southern Philippines has become a major tourist attraction especially during the Holy Week.
The rosary was constructed out of magcomo or iron wood that is native to the mountains of Davao Oriental and Surigao del Sur. It was originally intended as a project of the Knights of Columbus to commemorate the silver anniversary of the Catholic diocese of Tagum City in 2005.
The rosary weighed 2,815 kilograms and measured at 85.5 meters long. The city claims that the Guinness Book of World Records “recognizes [Tagum City’s] giant rosary as the largest Roman Catholic rosary in the whole world.”
Each bead weighs 35 kg and the rosary was placed outside the Christ the King Cathedral.
The refurbished and renovated cathedral was dedicated on the city’s 25th anniversary celebration. It stood in a two-hectare area donated by the heirs of the late Dr. and Mrs. Juan Gonzales.
The cathedral was solely built from donations since 1993 and took 12 years to finish, in time for the anniversary of the diocese. The Christ the King Cathedral is known as the biggest in Mindanao.
The cathedral was designed like a castle. This temple of worship rests in a two-hectare land with an amazing design of towers like those found in fairy tale castles. As pillars of the Church, the statues of Saints Peter and Paul greet worshipers and tourists upon entering the vicinity of the Basilica.
CONFISCATED HOT LOGS donated by DENR for the chair and desk production project
By ROGER M. BALANZA
TAGUM CITY, Davao DEL NORTE -The Local Government of Tagum City is setting a target to produce 15,000 armchairs and desks for public schools in Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley.
To produce the big number, Mayor Rey Uy has organized a bayanihan-style production line tapping volunteers in the production of armchairs that are badly lacking in public elementary and high schools.
Several schools in Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley, where his brother Governor Arturo Uy is also into a chair-giving program for public schools, have already benefitted from the project.
Tagum City’s production line gets wood supply from the Department of Environment and Natural resources (DENR) which donates confiscated illegal logs for the project.
At the city motorpool where the school furnitures are manufactured, volunteers offer help in sandpapering and varnishing armchairs, desks, beds and tables.
The items are given free to public schools upon request.
This is part of the local government’s corporate social responsibility, said Uy, who takes pain to personally attend to and join the delivery of the furniture even to farflung areas.
Because of the large volume of logs to be fabricated, Mayor Uy has tapped city employees, members of the different civic society organizations, business firms and private individuals to volunteer in the production line. CIOTagum
inAROUNDDAVAO
PUBLISHED IN THE DURIAN POST NO. 84, Nov 07-13, 2011
Tagum City Mayor Allan L. Rellon accompanies Rev. Fr. Reynaldo E. Biliran during the blessing and inauguration of the Sunflower Garden in front of the New City Hall of Tagum on November 12. (Carlo Abellana/CIO Tagum)
THE DURIAN POST 