Residents and tourists are celebrating the recently-lighted 182-foot-tall Christmas tree in Tagum City, Davao del Norte, which has become the centerpiece of the local Christmas tradition.
A firework display accompanied the lighting of the towering Christmas ornament on Sunday, drawing large crowds to the annual ceremony.
The ten layers forming the massive structure represent the ten development thrusts of the city’s government, according to a video produced by the LGU. A 12-foot metal star also sits atop of the structure.
The tree is decorated with 23 smaller stars to represent Tagum’s 23 barangays. The seven rays of light flashing around the tree meanwhile represent the city’s seven councilors.
Those who witnessed the lighting are sharing photographs of the fully-lighted Christmas tree, which is lit by 233,400 light bulbs.
Tagum City’s Giant Christmas Tree. #ChristmasTreeLightUpCelebration pic.twitter.com/JeOmpkRDGa
— jekboy👋🏻 (@itsmenel12) November 18, 2018
The tallest x-mastree in the Philippines
Tagum city chtistmas tree pic.twitter.com/8G82h0L8RS
— jjcpnr (@jjannacpnr) November 18, 2018
Tallest Christmass Tree in the Philippines here at Tagum City✨🎉 pic.twitter.com/b79VzrchJq
— Kaye🚯 (@Hazelkop_) November 18, 2018
The local government of Tagum has been mounting giant Christmas icons since 2010. According to the LGU, this is the tallest version of their Christmas tree to date, beating 2017’s tree, which stood at 176 feet.
The 2018 Christmas tree according to the city government cost close to P2 million pesos.
The height of the giant tree has doubled in less than four years. The tree put up in 2014 stood at just 61 feet.
The giant tree will be lighted up every night at 6 p.m. until January 2019.
Budding tourist hotspot?
The city has been driving its tourist attractions in recent years. Just a week before the giant Christmas tree’s lighting, the local government opened a sunflower garden close to city hall.
Tagum City // Sunflower Garden (Part 2) pic.twitter.com/l8cl1Q85Ml
— Jay Ar Fortich (@Makatang_Wasak) November 17, 2018
It is also known for its Energy Park, which boasts of a vast canopy of trees, a bike trail, picnic-friendly grounds and an aviary.
Its local night market, which is known for its seafood selection and street food concessionaires, is also frequently featured in travel and vacation blogs.
Among its more bizarre attractions is the “Largest Rosary in the World,” an 85.5-meter-long structure made up of giant iron wood beads linked together to form one big rosary. Each bead is believed to way 35 kilograms, putting the structure’s entire weight at 2,815 kilograms.