Magnetic force

CEBU, Philippines -  For a city that can hold the attention of over 50,000 spectators—and glue some TV viewers to their seats in one night—her ability is a superpower. Thus, if compared to the rest of her sister cities, Tangub is only a speck of a hectare in Mindanao. However, every December, she is the fairest of them all.

Or say, the queen of Hollywood. That, if Hollywood embodies utmost entertainment, then Tangub has the best way of pleasing everybody. That, if Hollywood owns the sweetest smile in the world, then Tangub's is a megawatt.

"I couldn't believe that it has grown this big," says Dr. Jennifer Wee-Tan, former city mayor and now chair of Tangub City Tourism Council, on the title as The Christmas Symbols Capital of the Philippines. For the last 21 years, every first day of December, tourists and locals gather in the plaza for the opening of the decorations competition, which would run until the first week of January 2014.

The participants, composed of both private and public sectors, deliver their interpretations of the season’s most prominent figures—the nativity of Jesus, Santa Claus, and the Christmas tree—according to the culture of the country they represent.

The Governor Alfonso D. Tan College draws inspiration from Saint Basil's Cathedral's geometric patterns and onion domes to tell a story about Russia. Artistic directions centered on hand painted icons of St. Nicholas and the Holy Family in a Russian doll scheme. Details are everything: Like the original structure, it is subdivided into small chapels of devotion. And even at daytime, its edifice beckons attention from the plaza.

A jewel-toned baobab tree is the focal figure in Northwestern Mindanao State College's rendition of Africa. Flanked by two tall structures, its lighting-electrical techniques and styling engineered by professionals—is enough to lead the eyes to its direction and ultimately, win the hearts of the jurors in the first round of qualification.

"I like the idea that we now incorporate world culture into the decorations. For those who cannot afford to go abroad, it's a way of informing them about other countries," Dr. Tan goes on. "It turned out to be very educational for all of us. Even myself, I didn't know about the baobab tree until they told me about it. I did not understand at first."

Or so, she never expected everything to be sensational. A former Miss Cebu Tourism title holder, Dr. Tan moved to Tangub after she was married to Philip who is a native of the former municipality. "I didn't know where Tangub was. Literally, our place wasn't in the map of the Philippines," she laughs.

"I was used to the lights and the merrymaking of Cebu. When I transferred here, it was different. No Christmas lights—it was so dark and quiet. It was so sad," Dr. Tan recalls. "I asked my husband if he could buy a small Christmas tree and lights in Ozamis (a neighboring city) and put them in the plaza."

Since then, her neighbors began gathering around the decors and started to embellish their houses. "We were delighted about it, and then along the way, we put our best foot forward to impress ourselves with Christmas decors."