OLONGAPO WOMEN HOLD MOONLIGHT FESTIVAL
OLONGAPO CITY – Women of Olongapo marked International Women’s Day, not with protest rallies but with a festival celebrating the “circle of life” that begins in a woman’s womb.
The “1st Women’s Moonlight Festival” in Olongapo, led by the city’s First Lady and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Director Anne Gordon, brought together women from different sectors and all walks of life in an evening of music, dance, poetry and sharing of experiences.
The celebration was held in an area at the East Tapinac Oval Track, where the organizers formed a circle of light coming from paper lanterns and bamboo torches – the “circle of life” symbolizing the moon.
For the occasion, women were asked to wear purple and white flowers on their hair while the men were asked to come in white.
City government officials and employees were joined by various sectors, among them senior citizens, non-government organizations, civil society groups, religious groups, foundations working for the welfare of women and children and female officers of the PNP.
City Social Welfare and Development Office head Gene Eclarino; Dolly Yanan of Yokobari Foundation; Alma Bulawan, President of Buklod ng Kababaihan and Alex Hermoso of the Preda Foundation mobilized the various groups.
The “Moonlight Festival” on International Women’s Day is just one of the activities lined up by the Olongapo Women’s Council in celebration of Women’s Month.
