Link live video coverage from Celso Cajucom

By: Celso M. Cajucom

NUEVA ECIJA – Gapan City officially launched its holiday season with its annual Christmas lighting ceremony, attracting thousands of residents and visitors at the city plaza. The festivities, hosted by 4th District Rep. Emerson Pascual and Gapan City Mayor Emary Joy Pascual, featured a free concert with performances from popular bands Gloc-9, Sponge Cola, and famous singer Rangel Fernandez on November 22, 2025. 

The event was themed “Joy to the Max, May JOY sa Pasko sa Gapan 2025,” which highlighted both the festive spirit and the leadership of the Pascual siblings.

The evening’s festivities began with a prayer led by three parish priests, followed by the ceremonial lighting of the city’s displays by Congressman Pascual and his sister Mayor Emary Joy, alongside other city and village officials and special guest provincial Board Member Inocencio Bautista.

Among the special guests were officers and members of the Nueva Ecija Press Club Inc. (Nepci) who were in attendance to cover the special events led by its President Milo Salazar and executive vice President Celso Cajucom.

Many attendees had enjoyed a festive parade with colorful and unique city displays, as well as a night market offering a variety of food and delicacies.

The city’s historical landmark, (or “Little Vigan ng Nueva Ecija”), was a major attraction during the festivities, with the venue near the city plaza drawing local balikbayans, tourists, and other curious attendees.

Visitors from other districts also joined the event with a surprise courtesy call from group of residents of Talavera, who visited Congressman Pascual’s ancestral residence, “Bahay na Bato.”

Providing an opportunity for guests and visitors to praise Rep. Pascual and Mayor Emary Joy for their leadership, which they described as “dependable and consistent” and extending “beyond election seasons.

Mayor Emary Joy told media that she had put her “best effort” into this year’s festivities and was committed to building on past successes.

Visitors have been sharing their delight on social media, with one comment on Facebook reading, “You don’t have to look for anything else, Gapan’s Joy is here!”

The excitement is real! We’ve loved seeing all your posts, like this comment from one happy visitor in his facebook page.

“The successful event highlighted the commitment to providing memorable experiences and concrete actions for my constituents”, said Mayor Emary Joy.

In a gesture of goodwill, the Pascual’s siblings announced to the media that every family in Gapan City would also receive a free pack of goods for their Noche Buena ahead of holiday seasons.

Rep. Pascual also addressed the crowd, offering well-wishes for the holidays as he concluded his remarks by wishing everyone a “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.”

He told media here that the event served to further strengthen his family’s reputation as dedicated and caring leaders who are truly committed to serve for the sake of his constituents.

To ensure the peace and order, PLTCOL Joel Dela Cruz, Gapan City’s acting Chief of Police, however, has conducted a pre-deployment briefing for all police personnel and force multipliers, aiming to ensure of proper readiness and deployment of personnel for the event.

Notes: My Media colleagues covering the festivities  of several media outlets: They are prominent correspondent journalists and members of the Nueva Ecija Press Club, Inc. (NEPCI) such as Steve Gosuico of People’s Journal with social media Sapul Ka News,  Armand Galang of the Philippine Daily Inquirer with social media fb Nueva Ecija Chronicle  and his wife Marilyn Galang of the Philippine News Agency (PNA), Jujun Sy, a stringer for GMA Network in Nueva Ecija, Chris Sansano of dwww 774 AM/tv5 and his wife Grace Sansano of DZRH also in attendance.

The event also observed including, Ryan Rivera of local newspaper Headlines and social media facebook blog and Camille Santos, Facebook blog.