Students from the elementary, high school and college levels in the City of San Fernando showed off their lantern-making skills as they competed for this year’s inter-school lantern parade competition held on Dec. 12.
Twenty-eight schools and universities paraded their colorful ‘parols,’ made of indigenous materials, from Pampanga High School going to the city hall.
The presentation and judging of lanterns was attended by Vice Mayor Jimmy Lazatin and the Giant Lantern Festival 2016 executive committee chaired by Jim Jimenez.
In an interview, Mayor Edwin ‘EdSa’ Santiago said the annual competition seeks to keep the lantern industry alive by encouraging the youth to practice making parols trough their own means.
“Our city is known as the country’s Christmas capital for its well-crafted lanterns and we want to inspire the next generation to engage themselves in the art of lantern making so as to preserve the industry,” added Mayor Edsa.
Meanwhile, Pandaras Integrated School bested 11 contenders in the lantern parade competition for the elementary category. San Fernando Elementary School and San Jose Juliana Elementary School were awarded as second and third place, respectively.
For the high school category, winners were Lara Integrated School (1st place), Pampanga High School (2nd place) and St. Nicolas College of Business and Technology (3rd place).
The University of the Assumption (1st place), City College of San Fernando (2nd place) and Systems Plus College Foundation (3rd place) were awarded as winners for the college category.