CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — The celebration of the 112th Giant Lantern Festival (GLF) is seen to flash a beacon of hope amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The festival’s continuation on December 16 will highlight the prevailing tradition and culture of the Fernandinos as the city shines as the Christmas Capital of the Philippines.
GLF 2020 Executive Committee Chairperson Felix Paras shared that the festival is going fully digital to ensure public health.
“We are here to prove that the pandemic is not a hindrance to a tradition that stood through decades. However, it is only this year that we urge the public to watch it at the comfort of their homes. This is also for their safety and security,” he pointed.
The annual festivity will be broadcasted live on free to air television via CLTV 36 and its 39 cable partners in Central Luzon, as well as via Facebook live on the official pages of CLTV 36; Giant Lantern; CSFP City Information Office; City of San Fernando Pampanga Tourism Office; CSFP Arts, Culture, and Tourism Council; and City of San Fernando, Pampanga. It will also be streamed live in the official YouTube channel of CLTV 36.
In addition, this year’s festival is the first time to set aside the competition as the GLF Foundation agreed to just stage an exhibition.
GLF 2020 will host seven participating barangays namely Sto. Niño, San Nicolas, San Juan, Sta. Lucia, Bulaon, Calulut and Telabastagan.
“The participating barangays were given subsidies from the GLF Foundation. The lanterns they will be using are the ones they presented last year, but they were allowed to opt changes in the colors, sequence, or designs. Everyone has to expect a more colorful festivity in the biggest and brightest show of the city,” Paras added.
Moreover, GLF 2020 hails another milestone as purely Kapampangan songs are to be played in the three rounds of the exhibition.
Organizers said that they tapped Kapampangan artists, and songwriters for local music.
Robinsons Starmills hasn’t yet issued the guidelines in the drive in for the lanterns’ exhibition on December 17 to 23.
Also, the GLF Foundation acknowledges the private sector partners in their efforts for this year’s event.
The event partners are Robinsons Starmills Pampanga, Provincial Government of Pampanga, and CLTV36; Official Telco Partner is Smart Communications Inc.; Official Software Developer is BMWare Software Development; Major Sponsors are NLEX/SCTEX and Converge ICT Solutions Inc.; and Minor Sponsors are Balipure, and Davies Paints Philippines Inc.
Locally known as “Ligligan Parul”, GLF is a UNESCO-recognized festival showcasing 20-foot-tall lanterns composing around 10 000 light bulbs operated manually. The event started in 1908 and gathers around 50 000 spectators every year. –Jag Lyra D. Costamero