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Spider-John to the rescue!

Santa Barbara is set to host the 117th Anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine Independence tomorrow, June 12. From years of planning, months of meetings, weeks of preparations, days of on-site work and hours of rehearsals - almost everything seemed to be falling into their respective places...

 When the almost unimaginable thing happened - the rope that will be used to hoist the Philippine Flag breaks/snaps! 
Now everybody almost seemed to also have snapped that instant. It's not just any tall flagpole, it's a 120-feet flagpole - almost 12 storeys high! And tomorrow's the big day - now what to do, what to do?

Everyone in the vicinity offered but it was narrowed down to two - use a boom crane to hoist someone up there or someone will be hoist down a helicopter from above. No matter what it takes, it has to be done for its for the President who will be here.
Helicopters flew over to assess the situation but it seemed futile from that point or so we conclude. (Maybe they were just there to assess the security and preparations from the air). Then a boom crane from the Provincial Government arrived and gave a more hopeful assessment of the gravity of the situation.
In this celebration of Philippine Independence, we all have our heroes to thank for and look up to. And for the onlookers this afternoon, they had the Santa Barbara Municipal Risk Reduction Management Council to thank for and John Tamita of MRJC Engineering Services to look up to - literally!
"Spider-John" attached himself to the tip boom crane and slowly but surely, he was hoisted up, up and away...
...higher and higher - farther and farther.
Can you see him? Here's how he looked like - zoomed in!
And there he is, doing his spidey moves - getting the snapped portion of the rope...
...and sliding down the remaining 110 feet flagpole, which is among the tallest in the country.
Here's how Spider-John, looked clinging and sliding down the pole - from a distance.  It's palosebo Kalayaan 2015-style - can you imagine doing that yourself?
Spider-John arrived at the base to a standing ovation  led by Director Ludovico Badoy (in checkered polo) of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines who leads the over all preparation of the event. I guess, he had the biggest sigh of relief that afternoon. As the popular movie quote goes - with great power comes great responsibility.

And Spider-John just agrees - with a smile!

Unmarked photos courtesy of Santa Barbara Ugyon Facebook Page


John Tamita the 117th Philippine Independence Day Flag Raising Ceremony Hero!
Posted by Santa Barbara Ugyon on Monday, 15 June 2015

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