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Christmas with kids in Tabuk
Tabuk is the only city in Kalinga, and one of its Christmas landmarks is a 40-meter mountain sculpture made from road-widening soil. Its holiday story is told in lights, from the highway to the Capitol grounds.
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The story of Christmas in Tabuk
A 40-meter mountain made of road-widening soil
Tabuk is the only city in Kalinga, a province in the Cordillera, and its best-documented Christmas tradition is lighting things up. In 2017 the city ran a campaign called "Make Bright the Nights this Christmas", asking barangays and offices to put up lighted trees. On December 11, 2017 at 6:00 PM, a replica of the Sleeping Beauty mountain of Tinglayan was switched on beside the national highway. It is 10 meters wide, 40 meters long and 5 meters high, built from waste soil from road works, with the names of all Kalinga municipalities engraved on it.
Solar lights at Capitol Plaza Park
No account of the 2025 season is available, so the latest lighting described is from December 6, 2023. Hundreds of people came to Capitol Plaza Park in Tabuk for a Christmas lighting ceremony, where Governor James Edduba spoke. Extra solar-powered lights were being added to the existing Christmas lights so the whole park would glow. The plan was to keep them installed so the park is lit every night of the year, and more lights were expected the following week. Check Rally Takes the Train's Tabuk Christmas events guide for dates once hosts announce 2026 programs.
Ullalim, a heroine on Patukan and a park lit for family evenings
The Sleeping Beauty replica comes with a story many Kalinga children grow up on, one of the province's best-loved bedtime tales, sung in a native ballad called Ullalim. Two lovers are parted, and versions differ by tribe: the lovers are Lubting and Mawanga in one, Dinayao and Binsay in another, Edonsan and Banna in a third. In every version the heroine ends up resting on Patukan in despair. The real mountain is best seen from Basao, Bangad and Butbut in Tinglayan. At the 2023 lighting, Governor Edduba urged families to visit Capitol Plaza Park at night when it is not raining, and said guards are stationed there. Tabuk itself became a municipality on June 16, 1950, a city on June 23, 2007, and regained cityhood on February 15, 2011. It sits at 293 meters above sea level, about 466 km from Manila.
Traditions today
- Light up Capitol Plaza Park: The park held a Christmas lighting ceremony on December 6, 2023, with solar-powered lights meant to stay on all year.
- See the Sleeping Beauty replica: A 40-meter sculpture beside the national highway, switched on in 2017 and meant to be decorated each Yuletide season.
- Put up a lighted tree: The city's Make Bright the Nights campaign asked barangays and offices to display lighted Christmas trees.
- Visit the park after dark: At the 2023 lighting, the governor encouraged families to spend evenings at Capitol Plaza Park when it is dry, noting that guards are on duty.
- Hear the Ullalim ballad: The story of the Sleeping Beauty lovers is sung in the Kalinga ballad called Ullalim.
A fact for kids
Tabuk has a sleeping mountain lady, 40 meters long, built from soil dug up while widening roads.
Questions about Christmas in Tabuk
Where is Tabuk City and is it the same as Tabuk in Saudi Arabia?
No. This Tabuk is the only city in Kalinga province, in the Cordillera Administrative Region of the northern Philippines. It lies in the eastern part of the Cordillera Mountain Range, about 466 km from Manila. Families searching for Christmas here should look for Tabuk, Kalinga.
How many people live in Tabuk City?
Tabuk had 122,771 residents in the 2024 census. That makes it the most populous place in Kalinga and the third most populous in the Cordillera Administrative Region. It is also the province's only city, so many Kalinga families come here for shopping, school and holiday gatherings.
What was the Sleeping Beauty replica lit in Tabuk in 2017?
It is a sculpture of the Sleeping Beauty mountain of Tinglayan, switched on at 6:00 PM on December 11, 2017 beside the national highway. It measures 10 meters wide, 40 meters long and 5 meters high, and was made from waste soil from road widening projects.
Why is the Sleeping Beauty replica a good stop with kids?
Kids can see a landscape sculpture 40 meters long, with the names of every Kalinga municipality engraved on it. It was built to stay up all year and be decorated again each Yuletide season. Check locally that lights are on before you go, since no 2026 schedule has been published.
What story goes with the Sleeping Beauty mountain?
Kalinga people tell of two lovers who are separated, sung in the native ballad called Ullalim. Versions differ by tribe and the lovers carry different names, but all end with the heroine grieving on Patukan. The real mountain is best seen from Basao, Bangad and Butbut in Tinglayan.
What was the Make Bright the Nights campaign?
It was a 2017 city campaign inviting barangays and offices to set up lighted Christmas trees, and the Sleeping Beauty replica was part of it. It aimed to bring visitors to Tabuk and spark imagination, and the replica was meant to remain after the holidays.
Where is the Christmas lighting at Capitol Plaza Park?
Capitol Plaza Park is in Tabuk City, Kalinga. A Christmas lighting ceremony was held there on December 6, 2023, with hundreds of people attending and Governor James Edduba speaking. Solar-powered lights were being added so the whole park could be lit.
Is the Capitol Plaza Park lit all year?
That was the plan in 2023. Governor Edduba's project added solar-powered lights that are meant to stay installed so the park is lit every night year-round. The display was not finished at the ceremony, with more lights expected the next week, so check the current state before you travel.
Who spoke at the 2023 Christmas lighting in Tabuk?
Governor James Edduba spoke at the Christmas lighting ceremony at Capitol Plaza Park on December 6, 2023, with hundreds of people attending. He thanked everyone for supporting the event and said he hoped Kalingas, especially those who use the park at night, would enjoy the new solar-powered lights.
Who attended the 2017 switch-on of the Sleeping Beauty lights?
The switch-on was set to include Representative Allen Jesse Mangaoang, City Mayor Ferdinand Tubban, employees of the offices at Capitol Hills and students of Kalinga State University. The lights were to come on at 6:00 PM on December 11, 2017, as part of the city's Christmas lighting campaign that year.
Is Capitol Plaza Park a good place for families in the evening?
At the 2023 lighting, Governor Edduba encouraged families to visit the park at night when it is not raining. He said security guards are stationed there and urged families to use the park for bonding time. Conditions may have changed since, so check locally before you go.
Which Kalinga towns are named on the Tabuk Sleeping Beauty replica?
The names of all the Kalinga municipalities are engraved on the replica, which the engineer behind it, Manuel Madio, described as a unifying feature. He said the project had been conceived ten years earlier but was not realized until the 2017 Christmas season, using soil from road widening.
What language is spoken in Tabuk City?
Kalinga is the main language, and Ilocano serves as the lingua franca across the city. Ga'dang and Tagalog are also among the languages. Carols and greetings you hear at Christmas gatherings can therefore be in any of these, depending on the family and barangay.
Is Tabuk cold at Christmas?
No December temperature figures are given for Tabuk. The city sits at 293 meters elevation and ranges from 44 to 1,338 meters across its area, with about 1,755 mm of rain a year. Pack a light layer for evenings if you are heading up into the hills.
Which Tabuk spots light up for Christmas, and can kids visit them?
The two documented places are Capitol Plaza Park, lit in December 2023, and the Sleeping Beauty replica beside the national highway, switched on in December 2017. Neither has a 2026 schedule, so confirm with the host or the city before visiting.
What can kids do in Tabuk besides the lights at Capitol Plaza Park?
The documented events are lighting displays, not kids' programs. The Sleeping Beauty replica is a roadside sculpture you can walk along, and the city has campaigned for lighted trees in barangays. For anything else, check the official Tabuk City page or ask the Kalinga provincial office.
Where should we spend Christmas Day in Tabuk with children?
No Christmas Day program has been published for Tabuk. The documented traditions are evening lighting at public spaces, such as Capitol Plaza Park, and the lighted trees the city asked barangays and offices to set up in 2017. Many families spend the day at home, but please confirm with your barangay for 2026 plans.
Is there a confirmed 2026 Christmas event in Tabuk City?
Not yet on Rally Takes the Train's Tabuk Christmas events guide. This guide lists only events whose 2026 dates are confirmed on the host's own page or an official calendar, and none are confirmed for Tabuk. Check back in December as hosts announce programs.
Which news report described the Capitol Plaza Park lighting, and when?
Guru Press Cordillera published the account on December 23, 2023, written by Kristel Cawas-Baruzo. It covers the ceremony held on December 6, 2023, the latest Tabuk Christmas lighting on record. It does not give a 2026 schedule.
When did Tabuk become a city?
Tabuk was founded as a municipality on June 16, 1950 under Republic Act No. 533 and became a city on June 23, 2007 under Republic Act No. 9404. It lost cityhood through Supreme Court rulings in 2008 and 2010, then regained it on February 15, 2011.
Sources
- Tabuk, Kalinga, Wikipedia
- Kalinga Capitol Plaza Park shines brighter with added solar-powered Christmas lights, Guru Press Cordillera
- Kalinga's "Sleeping Beauty" in Tabuk City this Christmas, Zigzag Weekly