Giant Lantern Festival History
The Festival
During December in San Fernando, Pampanga, the city celebrates the Giant Lantern Festival, Saturday before the Christmas Eve. The festival features competition of creatively built giant lanterns. Through this, the city has earned the nickname The Christmas Capital of the Philippines.
These giant lanterns measure an average of 40 feet in diameter and can contain thousands of light bulbs each. They sparkle, pulsate, intricate patterns, in a loop of random movements that glows against the evening’s blue sky. The blinking lights form kaleidoscopic patterns cast by hundreds of thousands of multicolored bulbs all in all, complete with safety box and 75 KVA generator apiece, powerful enough to light up an entire barrio. There are even entries to the giant lantern competition with state of the art technology.
Giant lanterns are usually made of crepe paper, Japanese paper, soft drink straws, wood, metal, plastic, capiz shell and many other materials. Costly as it is, it is a symbol of Pampanga folk art.
Because of the sizes of these “parols”, they have to be carried by parade of 6X6 trucks, and weighs around 1000 kg or more. Creating a single giant lantern requires at least 50 people, working almost the whole year to finish it.
The highlight of the festival is the parade of the competing lanterns in the streets on the 16th, with music and dancing.
Origin
The art of parol making tradition started way back 1928 as Francisco Estanislao made a symbol of the Star in Bethlehem when he made the first parol that has five-point star lantern, lighted by a candle or carbide lamp.
Lantern-making industry in San Fernando is dramatically influenced and assisted to boost by this magnificent event, the Giant Lantern Festival. Originally named as “Ligligan Parul” or “Pista ng Parul”, the festival is said to have started in 1904.
Lubenas, a predecessor of the modern day Giant Lantern Festival, is a religious event. The lanterns originally measure only 2 feet in diameter, they are usually built from bamboo and other local materials. In the event of the 9-day novena before Christmas, as people observe the Simbang Gabi, the lanterns march around in every barrio as an observance of the “visita”. Along with the barrio’s patrons, the lanterns were brought to the town church before the Christmas Eve.
Evolution of the lanterns started from the size and designs have become elaborated, it is decided that each barrio gets represented by only one big lantern built through cooperative effort. One resident of a barrio would contribute for the materials to be used, one would make the design, and one would manage the construction. With this, the lantern became a symbol unity for each barrio.
History
At the time President Manuel Quezon made Arayat his residence and converted into a tourist destination, the fist Lantern Festival is held. Being thankful, the people of Arayat devised a Christmas Lantern contest in honor of the president and his family. The winner of the contest received an award donated by the president himself thru his first lady Aurora Quezon.
In Succession
In the succeeding years, innovations are continuously introduced in giant lantern making. The traditional “papel de hapon” is replaced by colored plastics, big metal rotors replace the manual switches for the lights, and the lanterns, keeping up with modern technology, became bigger and bigger, and these days about 20 feet and lights up approximately 5,000 light bulbs.
(Information Courtesy of www.philippinefiestas.com)
Interview with the Giant Lantern Legend
Kong Erning as they usually call him represents the 4th generation of Pampanga’s Giant Lantern Makers.
It started with his great ancestor, Francisco Estanislao, succeeded by his grandfather Severino David and his uncles Fernando, Rodulfo, Elpidio and Pedro.
“Ligligan Parul” originally started as a display of colorful and bright lanterns after Misa de Gallo.
1946 during World War II when they introduce rotors replacing manual switches for the lights.
1966 when Philippines had a Summit Conference at Malacañang with US President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Pampanga is proud to present a 10 feet tall Lantern for him.
1995 representing the country on a Christmas Parade in Hollywood conveying the theme “Bring Home a Friend to the Musical Island Philippines”, the country was honored to bring the Grand Prize.
1992 in Spain, Philippines join the procession and event of the “World Expo to the Seville, Spain” displaying the pride of the country, Pampanga’s Giant Lantern.
Giant Lanterns became more innovative every year. From kawayan, lantern makers are now using plastic venyl, capiz, handmade paper, talahib and abaca.
Kong Erning always tells us, “Eku maymut keng kabalwan, para ali tuknang ing tradisyun” (I am not selfish of this learning, so the tradition won’t stop). This proves as he continually teach skilled people in their community, sharing all ideas and strategies as they make all types and kinds of lanterns every Christmas Season.
On October 2, 2010, he was sent to Northern Mindanao to teach 100 out of school youth in making lanterns, passing the skill and knowledge to their generation.
Truly, the skill of lantern making is invaluable and the heart of the people behind the talent is more rewarding.
We would like to thank the Barangay Captain of Sta. Lucia for allowing this interview and Mr. Ernesto “Erning” David-Quiwa for unselfishly sharing his time and wisdom to us.
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2 Responses to Giant Lantern Festival History
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pdadmin says:
Thanks Ching! Appreciate it. :)
i think the world expo in 1992 where the lanterns were displayed was in seville, spain. kindly check the article. thanks.