Better late than never.

I am releasing the schedule of the Pasko Sa GenSan 2011 which I got on Facebook.  From what it says, the culmination of this year’s official Yuletide Celebration of General Santos City will be on December 16, 2011.

It is the first time that the Department of Education – GenSan Division took the reins of running Pasko sa GenSan and for this year, they have chosen the theme, “KAMPEON ANG PASKO SA GENSAN“.  This is obviously in reference to the locals who have brought honor and fame to the city.

Check out the official poster below (again from the Pasko Sa GenSan 2011 Facebook page) to find out who these people are.

The focal area for the Christmas festivities is still the GenSan Oval Plaza and the DepEd has done a good job in sprucing up the area and transforming it into a Paskuhan Village, with a matching Carnival.

I had a grand time watching the launching of the whole Pasko sa GenSan on 5, 2011, cheering for the different presentations of the various schools in the city at the Oval Plaza Stage and being enthralled by the Grand Fireworks Display before the simultaneous switch on of the magnificently lighted Christmas Village.

“CITY MAYOR DARLENE ANTONINO-CUSTODO, CONGRESSIONAL SPOUSE DR. ROSE ACHARON, CITY COUNCILORS VIRGIE LLIDO, MEG SANTOS, RICHARD ATENDIDO & NEP NATIVIDAD WITH DEPED SUPERVISOR ESTRELLA LARIOSA WATCH THE SKIES DURING THE GRAND FIREWORKS DISPLAY LAUNCHING THE PASKO SA GENSAN 2011 ON DEC 5, 2011 AT THE OVAL PLAZA STAGE.”

In contrast, the Christmas decors along the city’s major thoroughfares are very simple, reportedly due to budget cuts this year.

I just wished the local government could have dressed up the Plaza Heneral Santos and made it one Christmas Wonderland just like the past years.  So far, I have received observations that  it has “no Christmas spirit” whatsoever.

Anyway, the Christmas season has three more weeks to go and hopefully, something could be done about it.

By then, we could indeed in spirit greet one another, “Isang Maligayang Pasko sa Magandang GenSan sa lahat” convincingly, while strolling the city’s central government center with our families and loved ones.