Baguio employees give up Xmas party, to donate funds to typhoon victims

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines -   Government employees and officials in Baguio are letting go their lavish partying this Christmas.

Employees and officials will have to do away with the yearly Christmas party at the City Hall, supposedly with an P800,000 budget this year.

Following the suggestion of the Golden Christmas in Baguio executive committee to Mayor Mauricio Domogan, the more than a thousand city employees and officials will have to give up the Christmas party and the money allotted for it to  donate to the  victims of supertyphoon Yolanda.

The Christmas party of city hall employees usually involves an annual feast of catered food, raffle and door prizes for employees and officials.

Baguio will also do away with its sponsored luncheon and dinners for sister-city visitors and balikbayans.

Domogan said this is a time to empathize and sacrifice with those without the means to celebrate Christmas.

However, as a tourist destination,  the city will still hang Christmas lights and the giant christmas tree in the central business district, as Baguio still hopes to draw tourists during the Yuletide Season owing to its cold breeze.

Temperature in Baguio has dropped to as low as 13 degrees Celsius, especially with the northeast monsoon blowing in the North.

The “Golden Christmas in Baguio” celebrations will formally open with the lighting of the 15-meter high Christmas Tree at Upper Session Road with rotating angels and lights on December 1.

Other attractions also include a mini-Christmas Village at Burnham Park’s Rose Garden as an added attraction to complement the dancing fountains as Cchristmas lanterns will also adorn city’s main roads with designs of stalactites, snowflakes, bells, and reindeers.