Monday, September 20, 2010 was red-letter day for the GenSan as the culmination week of the Tuna Festival was finally opened by Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio herself in a beautiful lantern releasing ceremony at the oval plaza.

"MAYOR DARLENE ANTONINO-CUSTODIO WELCOMES THE CROWD AT THE START OF THE PROGRAM PRIOR TO HER OFFICIAL DECLARATION OF THE OPENING OF THE TUNA FESTIVAL WEEK AT THE OVAL PLAZA STAGE."

Earlier the hardworking mayor  welcomed all the present members of the 12 dance contingents for the Mardi Gras streetdance competition, their teachers, classmates and families; workers from the local government; city and barangay officials and a few hundred spectators all eager to witness the special launch.

She reiterated her desire to make GenSan a globally-competitive city and emphasized that the Tuna Festival theme, GO GLOBAL GENSAN, WE ARE READY FOR THE WORLD does not refer only to the city’s number one export – TUNA but to the talents, skills and abilities of its men and women who are its most valuable resource.

The whole program was short but it left an indelible mark on the minds and hearts of the people present not so much by the spectacle of the performances of the street dancers and GenSan Pop Idol finalists who gave a sneek preview of their numbers  and the premiere viewing of  the Music Video of “Whoa GenSan”, the Tunafest Theme Song; but,  by the lighting and releasing of 42 flying lanterns into the sky signifying the 42 years of GenSan’s charterhood.

As the lanterns ascended into the sky one by one, they carried with them the prayers, hopes and aspirations of the entire city and the thousand and one wishes for a more competitive and globally-ready people.

"MAYOR DARLENE AND HUSBAND BENJIE WAIT FOR THEIR LANTERN TO ASCEND INTO THE SKY AFTER LIGHTING IT FROM INSIDE WHILE 41 OTHER LANTERNS ARE ON STANDBY."

Here are the pictures taken on that eventful day…. all shot by Bariles and the Planetman.

"THE 10 MR. GENSAN CANDIDATES IN FORMATION AS THEY WERE PRESENTED TO SPECTATORS AT THE OVAL PLAZA."
"THE 10 MS. GENSAN FINALISTS POSE AT THE OVAL PLAZA STAGE FOR THEIR FIRST MAJOR EXPOSURE."
"THE CENTERPOINT BAND WHILE DOING A LIVE RENDITION OF THEIR OWN COMPOSITION, "WHOA GENSAN!", THE NEW TUNAFEST THEME SONG."
"DANCERS FROM DIFFERENT SCHOOLS PERFORM TOGETHER WITH "WHOA GENSAN" IN THE BACKGROUND"

On September 26, 2010, Sunday at exactly 10:00pm, another 43 lanterns will be released, this time infront of the City Hall Building, to signal the upcoming 43rd year of the City’s Charter in 2011.

It will take place before the SPLASH IN THE SKY FIREWORKS DISPLAY, both a fitting finale to this year’s spectacular celebration of the 12th Tuna Festival to commemorate GenSan’s 42nd Charterhood Anniversary.

WILL YOU BE THERE, GENERALS?

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