The long wait is over. Locals and visitors alike can now enjoy the famed animated Christmas display that first made history in Cubao. It officially opened Friday, November 18, 2016, amid much fanfare.

It is a piece of the big city imported by Bayambang, but minus the hours-long traffic and heavy pollution. In a provincial town setting, it occupies a bigger space and lords over the town square. It is even visible from outside the confines of the municipal plaza. What’s more – it is for free!

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As in the Greenhills version, it is surrounded by bazaars where holiday revelers can buy assorted quality goods, from keychains, clothes to handcrafted heritage products. There are also fastfood booths selling a range of choices, from shakes to shawarma, and food stalls selling native delicacies.

A mass, including a blessing ceremony, officiated by no less than Archbishop Socrates Villegas of the Archdiocese of Lingayen, assisted by Bayambang’s parish priests, marked the opening of the Paskuhan Village.

A short program entertained the thick waiting crowd with a mini-concert, with the Saint Vincent Chorale, PSU’s Golden Maneuvers, and Al Vincent Casela performing. These presentations are just a foretaste of those that will be shown prior to the night’s main show.

At the end, Mayor Cezar T. Quiambao welcomed guests and townmates with a word of thanks, especially to those who voted him as mayor. “I realized that in order to help your town (i.e, in concrete, as in this major tourism draw), you must have an authority,” he said. Aided by wife Niña Jose-Quiambao, he next proceeded to the ceremonial lighting of the nearby Christmas tree. By nightfall, the whole Christmas village lighted up in unison amid the pealing of church bells, the wailing of sirens, and the oohs and aahs from the spectators.

The Rosario family, who owns the technology used in the P4M-worth animated display, came all the way from Manila to grace the occasion.

The display can now be viewed every 30 minutes starting at 7 pm up to 12 midnight. The narration for the short nativity play will be in English and Pangasinense. The display will end its run after two months.

Paskuhan sa Bayambang is the brainchild of the same team behind the world record-setting activity staged by this town in 2014, the world’s longest barbecue grill. The team is composed of Mayor CTQ himself, aided by his Events Coordinator Ayen Garcia and Hermano Mayor Jose ‘Boy’ Ramos and Hermana Mayor Judith E. Ramos, among other collaborators.

Meanwhile, a prejudging for a belen-making contest cooked up by the Hermano and Hermana Mayor together with the Sangguniang Bayan was also held after the ceremonial lighting. The contest involved nine districts around the town proper.

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(Bayambang PIO/Media Affairs)