Tacloban City’s fiesta celebration is a grand and lavish tradition, albeit a display of misplaced priorities to some extent. While the celebration feeds the illusion of progress and abundance, it does little to address the glaring realities of poverty, neglect, and other problems.
Every year, the city pours millions into float parades, beauty contests, nightly shows, and celebrity appearances, yet large portions of Tacloban remain buried in post-Yolanda misery—flood-prone neighborhoods, substandard housing projects, erratic public transport, badly damaged roads, and depressed communities still yearning for genuine attention. Local leaders justify the extravagance in the name of culture and tourism, but the cultural argument is weak when the activities reflect more commercialism and populism than meaningful heritage.
The fiesta also reveals the disturbing influence of patronage politics. Political figures use the occasion to parade their generosity and visibility, sponsoring events that are more about self-promotion than the city itself. Food, entertainment, and cash giveaways become election investments, carefully disguised as public service. The masses, conditioned by years of dependency and propaganda, cheerfully comply, unaware that their cheers are being harvested as political capital. It is no longer just a fiesta—it borders on manipulation, strengthened by noise, spectacle, and temporary relief.
Furthermore, the city’s allocation of resources speaks volumes about its governance priorities. How can a local government justify the influx of spending for parties and fireworks while health centers lack medicine, public schools cry out for repair, and job opportunities remain scarce? No one is saying the fiesta should be abolished entirely, but surely, public funds must be channeled first toward permanent solutions for the people’s pressing needs. Entertainment should never take precedence over essentials.
It is time for the people of Tacloban to enjoy real leadership—leaders who will honor tradition not by staging spectacles, but by instituting reforms that lift lives, dignify culture, and develop the city beyond fiestas. The occasion must be restructured, with expenses monitored, priorities realigned, and programs designed to benefit all sectors, not just the few. These are essential in celebrating a happy fiesta for the city of Tacloban.
