Dazzling lanterns shine in Las Pinas City's 12th Parol Festival

WITH only a few days left before Christmas, Las Pinas residents once again showcased their creative whiz with their amazing giant lanterns for the 12th Parol Festival, now an annual event in the city and eagerly participated in by Las Pineros.

Participating parols in the festival were made with recycled materials and followed the required 8 ft x 8 ft size.

The Parol Festival was a brainchild of Sen. Cynthia A. Villar when she was still Las Piñas congresswoman in a bid to boost the city's parol-making industry by organizing the “Samahang Magpaparol ng Las Pinas" and the Las Pinas Parol Center which has since served as the training area for lantern makers.

“It felt right at that time to help my constituents to provide them with the venue not only to showcase their talents but to also encourage residents, especially promising entrepreneurs, to venture into parol making which is a highly lucrative industry. And 12 years today, we have given birth to hundreds of creative parol makers in Las Pinas adding another revenue stream for our Las Pinas residents,' Villar said.

Villar shared that her family looks forward to this annual festival, always eager to see what the parol makers have prepared.

Villar, along with husband former Senate President Manny Villar and Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, led the festivities which was held at the Villar SIPAG, where the competing lanterns from 16 parol makers have been on display since Dec. 1 when they were submitted. Lighting of the lanterns and judging were done last Dec. 4.

The criteria for judging for the 12th Parol Festival are Ingenuity & Resourcefulness​​-​30 percent; Creativity​​​​-​25 percent; Audience Impact​​​-​30 percent; and Technical Skills​​​-​15 percent.

Aside from their designs, lanterns will also be judged on how creatively parol makers included recycled materials such as plastic, shampoo and soap covers, straw, pet bottles, CDs, cartons, cans, and shells like tahong and tulya, and indigenous materials like coconut husk, dried leaves, feathers, shells etc. in their finished products.

PAROL-MAKING WINNERS. Sen. Cynthia A. Villar hands a trophy to Andrew Flores who won the first prize in the parol making contest during the 12th Parol Festival in Las Pinas City. Flores also got P20,000 cash prize while Rogelio Apuli and Luzviminda Gallardo also got P15,000 and P10,000, for the second and third place. The Parol Festival is an annual competition of giant parols made by Las Pineros. Photo also shows Las Pinas Mayor Imelda Aguilar.

"We must always be highly conscious on how we can help protect and preserve Mother Nature. Using indigenous and recycled materials for our lanterns brings attention to this noble and important goal," Villar said.

Parol maker Andrew Flores took home the first prize pot of P20,000.

The second prize of P15,000 was given to Rogelio Apuli while Luzviminda Gallardo took home the third prize award of P10,000.

Participants to the 11th Las Pinas Parol Festival were Maximo Guevarra; Josefa Advincula, Dionisia Aliparo, Andrew Flores, Lea Esguerra, Percival Santos, Edelfonso Esguerra, Rogelio Apuli, Crisanto Cabasal, Lucila Cabasal, Margarita Manlangit, Emeterio Cabasal Jr., Joel Quinano, Segundina Flores, Alicia Bencio and Luzviminda Gallardo.

Each participating parol-maker was given a subsidy of P2,000.

Simultaneous with the Parol Festival was a street dance competition, with the theme "Paskong Las Piñeros: , was also held among elementary school students was also held during the festival.

Participating groups had a maximum of 50 elementary students all currently enrolled in Las Piñas City. Their costumes had parols/lanterns and recycled and indigenous materials as their main component. Each participating group was given a subsidy of 25,000 for their costumes, props and other equipment.

The criteria for judging for the street dance competition are Interpretation and Concept, 40 percent; Choreography (Mastery, Execution and Synchronization, 30 percent; and Costume and Props, 30 percent.

Winners in the street dance competition are the following: 4th Group (CAA Elem. School, CAA Elementary-Annex and Gatchalian Elem. School) P50,000 (grand champion); 3rd Group (Almanza Elem. School, Almanza Elementary School-Annex and Pilar Village Elem. School) P30,000 (1st runner up); 1st Group (Pamplona Elem. School, Pamplona Elem. School Unit 1, Zapote Elem. School and Talon 3 Annex) P20,000 (2nd runner up).