In La Union, Sillag festival aims to revitalize former US station

On top of the ridge, the lighthouse at Poro Point winked rhythmically as thousands of La Union residents gathered along the beach for the cheery Sillag festival of lights at the former Wallace Air Station over the weekend. One by one, revelers released hope lanterns into the moonless sky, clearly the highlight for many families that brought their children, Sunday evening, into the normally restricted enclave to witness the nighttime spectacle. An array of boats strung with multi-colored lights illuminated the waters in front of the exclusive Thunderbird resorts, the venue for the festival which is now on its second year. One of the fishing boats was shaped like a bee that had stumbled into the sea, eliciting laughter from spectators as the vessels sailed into formation before sunset. Street dancers holding lamps and waving colored wands strutted up the road, a luminous display of multi-ethnic vibe amid the stark blue and white Santorini-inspired villas of the resort. This is the newest feature of the festival, which promises to add more activities and get extended to a longer period next year. A fun run, golf tournament, food fair, garden show, and concerts by local and Manila bands brought crowds of revelers to the festival this year. "The annual staging of Sillag undoubtedly is seen to give a boost to the tourism and business sectors in Region 1, particularly in Poro Point, San Fernando, La Union," said Arnel Casanova, president of the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA). The BCDA invited and hosted a group of Manila media, including GMA News Online, to witness the festival. One of the BCDA's subsidiaries, the Poro Point Management Corporation, currently manages the 146-hectare property. Two decades after the Americans left, however, what is now known as the Poro Point Freeport Zone remains underutilized and the BCDA is now bidding out the Master Development Plan for the site, which has its own seaport and airport. The lighthouse at Poro Point, which guides ships entering San Fernando Bay, was a recurring icon in many of the festival activities.,  A mini-lighthouse at the Sillag village was switched on Saturday together with a string of round capiz lamps strung along the bustling grounds to signal the opening of the festival, and a painted replica served as a stage backdrop for a dance group. It was a fitting symbol for the festival, and indeed, even though Sillag is derived from the Ilokano word for moonbeam, the organizers say it actually refers to the beacon from the lighthouse -- a much-needed ray of hope for the empty grasslands and derelict spaces of the rocky promontory. Apart from a few logistical problems -- the street dances were delayed and the volunteers could not keep some hope lanterns from straying dangerously close to the packed crowds gathered on the uneven shoreline -- the Sillag festival could very well find a place among the party set, especially since, as the organizers pointed out, it's the only festival of its kind to be held at night. Pink-tipped streaks and golden waves snaking across the sky from the fireworks mingled with the steady glow from the hope lanterns as the night wore on. Below the ridge, the dancing lights cast a powerful glow on the water as the crowds watched from the beach promenade, grateful for the mesmerizing show in the night sky. — DVM, GMA News