CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—For the eighth straight year, Robinsons Starmills Pampanga will host the annual Giant Lantern Festival (GLF), which attracted at least 250,000 spectators in 2014. Jodee Paulette Arroyo, group property manager of Robinsons Land Corp., said the company allotted P3.04 million for the staging of the GLF on December 19.
Among the guests and judges in the previous festivals were Pampanga Gov. Lilia Pineda, local officials from other cities and provinces and ambassadors of other nations. On Thursday Arroyo joined city of San Fernando Mayor Edwin Santiago, Clark International Airport Corp. President and CEO Emigdio P. Tanjuatco III, Pampanga Giant Lantern Festival Foundation officials and other local officials during the launch of the 100-day countdown leading to the GLF.
“The impending Asean integration encourages us to find the niche within the globalized market. What sets us apart from other festivals is that our contemporary culture is embedded in our Giant Lantern Festival,” Santiago said.
“With our new vision of becoming the center of capampangan culture, a preferred tourism destination in Asia by the year 2022, we believe that cultural tourism is our vehicle for economic development. Events such as this will cause a big leap on the economy without disregarding our heritage as Fernandinos,” he said.
It’s the 107th year of the GLF, or Ligligan Parul in the local dialect. The GLF made Pampanga’s capital city known as the “Christmas Capital of the Philippines.” After the competition, which is expected to end just before midnight, Robinsons will showcase nightly the giant lanterns from December 20, 2015, to January 6, 2016, to give ample time for locals and tourists to enjoy the colorful and creative heritage treasures of the city.
There are 11 competing barangays in this year’s festival: San Jose, Dolores, Santo Niño, San Nicolas, San Juan, Telabastagan, Del Pilar, Santa Lucia, Calulut and two newcomers: Sindalan and Pandaras. GLF Executive Committee Chairman Ernesto Cunanan said the 11 barangays will divide the P2-million allocation given by the city government as a form of subsidy.
Cunanan said the public should watch for the improved designs of the entries, as one of the lanterns will display 13,500 bulbs. He said ordinarily, only about 6,000 to 7,000 bulbs can be accommodated in the giant lantern, which measures 20 feet in diameter.
Cunanan also said a nightly giant lantern exhibition from December 20 to January 6, 2016, in different places in the province will be held to give tourists an opportunity to enjoy the “colorful and creative heritage treasures” of the city.
This year’s festival is headed by Cunanan and CSFP Giant Lantern Festival Foundation President Alfrito “Bong” Mah. Santiago is the honorary chairman.
Tanjuatco agreed to promote the GLF to the thousands of passengers at the Clark International Airport, which is expected to have at least 1 million passengers this year, for the promotion of the GLF.
The promoters also renewed their partnership with CLTV 36 for the live coverage of the actual competition. With Ashley Manabat