CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, (PNA) — Organizers of the city’s Giant Lantern Festival have vowed to make this year’s annual event more colorful and brighter.
Mariano “Marni” Castro, this year’s GLF chairman, said there will be more participants in this year’s festival as he expects more local and foreign tourists to again fill the grounds where it will be held.
The GLF committee members and the city government led by mayor Edwin Santiago recently signed agreements for the successful holding of the annual festival set on December 14.
First was with the Robinsons Starmills management for the venue; and, the second was with CLTV 36 for the event’s official TV coverage.
Different barangays participate in the annual festival that features the craftsmanship of Fernandino lantern-makers.
Santiago said that lantern-making in the city started in 1908. Back then, the lanterns were made of bamboo and cloth.
In 1929, Santiago added, the competition, locally known as “Ligligang Parul” started and the techniques in lantern-making were modified.
At present, electrical winkers and giant rotors are used to make kaleidoscopic play of colors and lights of the lanterns that have grown in size through the years.
In line with the festival, Santiago said the City of San Fernando and its lantern-makers want “bigger things” for its growing lantern industry.
Recognizing its big potential to fuel economic activity in the city, the city government is serious in maintaining and improving the lantern-making industry through continuing partnership with the lantern-makers and other support groups.
The beginning of the tradition of lanterns was traced to the Augustinians who introduced the practice during processions of patron saints.
The first recorded lantern-maker was from Sta. Lucia, San Fernando in the name of Francisco Estanislao, a saltmaker who made lanterns from bamboo and coco cloth.
Today, the fifth generation of Estanislao’s descendants–from the David and Quiwa families–continues to make spectacular giant lanterns.
The mayor said the festival has grown so big that it is now known not only locally but also worldwide.
Today, the simple lantern, made of paper glued over a bamboo frame, has evolved into spectacular shapes and kaleidoscopic splendor.
“But its message of light and hope remains the same,” Santiago quipped.
Previous winners in the festival were already exhibited in other countries like Spain, USA, Japan, Taiwan and Austria, among others.
At least P125,000 will be given as subsidy by the city government to each barangay participant in the GLF.