STORY AND PHOTOS BY PERCY ROXAS
Olongapo City — They used to be on the sidelines, keeping the peace, ensuring everyone is safe and everything is in order during the city’s major annual tourism draw, the Olongapo Mardi Gras. But this time, the Olongapo Police force stepped up their participation in the three-day festival, with select members joining in the “Ghost Rider” drive from their Camp Cabal HQ in Baretto to Magsaysay Drive in full Halloween cosplay at Wednesday’s opening event of this year’s Mardi Gras celebrations.
Dubbed as the “Olongapo City Police Halloween Safety Ride, ” the activity is credited as an initiative of PNP Olongapo commander PCol Ritchie Claravall, and marks the first time the PNP Olongapo joins as main participants of the event, and not just peacekeepers.
“We’re giving our best foot forward in this safety ride,” says officer Marya Ella Adolfo, who coordinated the debut police cosplay. “We’re dubbing this as ‘Ghost Ride’ but in fact, it’s more than just acting up and riding around in scary costumes. It’s an indirect way of saying that we, the police, are part of the community. We’re one with you. We stand with you. We’re together in all of these.”
The riders, including motorcycle riders from the barangays and private sector, culminated in the selection of the “Best Costume” of the night.
It started at 3:30pm, with the “Ghost Riders” assembling at Police Station 3, headed by PCapt Melchor Catigday, before jumping off to Camp Cabal in Maquinaya and then riding back to the Mardi gras site for the main program.
Early revelers enjoyed mingling with the Ghost Riders, having their pictures taken, inspecting the details of the costumes, laughing and joking with the riders, and all. The costumes range from the gruesome Freddie of Friday the 13th movie to the red witch to the scary Predator in full gear
“This is great,” says one observer, Jhong V., a Subic Freeport worker. “I have never seen the police do cosplay in my life. I would love to see this again in next year’s Mardi gras.”
Police cosplay is only one of the unique features of this year’s celebration, which also includes the much- awaited musical performances by imported bands like Parokya ni Edgar and many others. The event also showcases the best of local bands
Olongapo Mardi Gras is an annual festivity organized by the city government in collaboration with the business sector since the 1980s during which the entire Magsaysay Drive becomes a festival venue, with stages at strategic points for musical performances, games and other shows. Various food and drinks stalls are scattered along the road for guests to enjoy.
This year’s Olongapo Mardi Gras runs until Oct. 31, 2025.
