Fireworks, colorful lights mark 7th Sillag Festival

Fireworks illuminated the night sky on Sunday (April 8) in San Fernando, La Union as another amazing festival of lights capped off this year.
Thousands of spectators gathered at the baywalk for the three-day Sillag Poro Point Festival of Lights, an annual summer festival organized by the Poro Point Management Corporation (PPMC), a subsidiary of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).
The festival is being held not only to encourage tourism and investments at the Poro Point Freeport Zone, formerly the Wallace Air Station, but also to underscore the parallelism with the Poro Point Lighthouse as a beacon of hope.
Sillag comes from the Ilocano word “sellag” which means moonbeam or illumination from the moon. It is a tribute to the role of the old lighthouse in guiding the fishermen home.
Activities began just as soon as it got dark. As attendees waited for the sun to set, they were able to go food tripping in the numerous booths just across the baywalk.
The activities of the Sillag festival each have meaning; for instance, the Street Dancing Competition joined by seven schools shows that each person can be a source of light to his fellow human beings.
This year, the Santiago Elementary School bagged the championship for their creativity in using LED lights with recycled materials for an exciting performance. The La Union National High School won 1st runner-up while the San Jose National High School placed 2nd runner-up.
A Lantern Parade Competition was also held with the Lorma Medical Center winning first place. The 580th Aircraft Control & Warning Wing finished second, while the Saint Louis College landed third.
The crowd was also entertained with the performances of the Philippine Marine Drum & Bugle Corps, the Philippine Air Force Marching Band, and the Philippine Military Academy Masidlawin Class of 2020.
Bands such as Shamrock, True Faith, 6CycleMind, and Ex Battalion played covers and their most requested hits.
The last day of the festival drew 65,000 attendees with the Alab Poi Fire & Led Dancers putting a great show followed by a 12-minute pyromusical show.
“The success of Sillag or Poro Point would translate also to the success of San Fernando and throughout the province of La Union. Poro Point, it is like as synonymous to San Fernando City, La Union,” PPMC President and CEO Atty. Felix S. Racadio said.
Hotels like the Santorini-inspired Thunderbird Resorts & Casino were fully booked throughout the Sillag festival.
“La Union is becoming the number one destination in the north. Our vision is that we want to be the leading resort in the north once we finish all our exciting developments here,” Thunderbird General Manager Marvin Lanuza said.
The spectacle of fireworks and colorful lights is truly something to look forward to next year. PR / ABN

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