SURIGAO CITY — The Luneta Playhouse turned into a gathering of witches, superheroes, and storybook characters on October 31, 2026, as Surigao City staged its first Halloween Costume Contest. Children, teenagers, and adults took turns on stage, each bracket judged separately, and the result felt less like a formal competition than a neighborhood celebration. For a city whose October calendar has traditionally been quiet, the event marked a small but deliberate addition.
A Stage for Every Age
The contest was divided into three brackets, a structure that allowed a young child and a grown adult to share the same event without competing against each other. In the kids category, Keana Savaris took top honors, followed by Aziel Matthew and Khian Dave Gantalao. The teens bracket was led by Omairah Medenilla, with Ennico Ill Tresiana and Precious Anne Alipao completing the top three. Among the adults, James Roven Pelesmino placed first, followed by Sophia Reambonanza, Apple Mae, and Larry Cubillan. The spread of winners across ages reflected the event's design: a contest open to the whole community rather than a children's activity alone.
Partnership Behind the Masks
The event was organized by the city's Local Youth Development Office in partnership with the City Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office and JCI Surigao Wensie. That combination brought together three different capacities: the youth office's community networks, the tourism office's promotional reach, and the civic organization's volunteer energy. For a local government with limited resources, the arrangement offered a practical way to stage a public event without shouldering the full cost. The venue choice also mattered. Luneta Park has been revitalized in recent years, and placing the contest inside the playhouse linked it to an existing public space that residents and visitors already use.
A New Entry on the Calendar
Beyond the costumes and the winners, the contest added something to Surigao City that it did not previously have: a Halloween tradition. The city's event calendar has long relied on festivals and seasonal celebrations, but October has typically been thinner. A costume contest gives residents a reason to gather and gives visitors a light, accessible activity that requires no specialized gear. Whether it becomes an annual fixture will depend on the city's follow-through, but the first edition established a template.
