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| Tacloban City prepares for the Grand Santacruzan 2023, featuring seven barangays in a captivating display of faith and pageantry, marking the culmination of Flores de Mayo. Photo: Louie V./Facebook |
TACLOBAN CITY - Faith, tradition, and pageantry intersect as seven barangays gear up for the Grand Santacruzan 2023, the event that marks the climax of the month-long Flores de Mayo Celebration here on May 30.
Initiating the festivities, a holy mass will be held at the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Sto. Niño at 3:00 pm. Following this religious observance, an illuminated procession of ornately decorated floats and arches—representing each participating barangay and dedicated to the Holy Cross and the Blessed Virgin Mary—will wind through the city streets starting at 6:00 pm.
The procession, which will include floats carrying the official Miss Tacloban candidates, is slated to commence at Magsaysay Boulevard and culminate at Plaza Rizal.
Amidst this lively spectacle, the 'Reyna Elenas' of the barangays are expected to be the primary draw. The most striking 'Reyna Elena' will be awarded a P10,000 cash prize.
This year's participating contingents hail from barangays 43 B Quarry, 65 Paseo, 39 Calvary, 37 Reclamation, 84 San Jose, 52 Magallanes, and 99 Diit, each of which received a P20,000 cash subsidy from the city government to support their efforts.
The City Tourism and Operations Office (CTOO) has disclosed that the barangays will vie for various other honors alongside the coveted Grand Reyna Elena award. These distinctions include Best Lantern, Best Arch, Best Reyna Elena Arch, and Most Disciplined Barangay, each with a cash reward.
Cash prizes will also be given to the top performing barangay contingents, with the first-place winner receiving P50,000 and descending amounts for the first and second runners-up and the third and fourth-place finishers. Non-winning barangays won't go home empty-handed; they will receive consolation prizes of Php 5,000 each. —iTacloban (Source: CIO)