SINCE late last month, all the town halls and nearby public parks in all the 13 municipalities of Zambales lit up with LED light displays that drew residents and visitors alike like moths to their multi-colored illumination.

In Sta. Cruz, which is the northernmost town in Zambales, the display started at the entrance arc of the municipal park, narrowed to a pedestrian tunnel, then emerged at the other side for a full-light cladding of the municipal hall. The full light display on the town hall is a feature also seen in the municipalities of San Antonio, Castillejos, and Subic.

Masinloc town, meanwhile, incorporated booths displaying the town’s tourism attractions to maximize the impact to visitors, while San Marcelino dressed up its public park in tasty-looking candy canes and lollipop that became a favorite groufie background for teenagers.

The light display in Botolan, on the other hand, was notable for its somber white color of stylized angels, with little use of LED lights that starkly contrasted with most of the other LGU displays.

One of the most popular Christmas displays in the province remains to be that on the façade of the Zambales provincial capitol building, a dazzling spectacle supplemented by three giant Christmas trees, two Christmas wreaths customized for groufies, and a light tunnel that snaked its way between the Christmas trees.

Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., who switched on the Christmas lights on November 25, said the Christmas tree-lighting ceremony and light show at the Capitol traditionally signaled the Christmas festivities in the province and the start of similar Christmas-themed displays in its 13 municipalities. The Capitol displays, he added, were “a huge morale boost to Zambaleños, who like everybody else in the country, must contend with the lingering effects of the health crisis and other everyday struggles.” — HENRY EMPEÑO