WHEN THE STAR DID NOT SHINE

The Giant Lantern Festival was not held continuously since it conception in 1931. The tradition died out as a result of Martial Law. In 1978, San Fernando Mayor Armando Biliwang decided to forego with the festival because of the high cost of producing a lantern. But more so was the fact curfews had to be observed.

In 1979, the different barangays who were regulars in the competition clamored for its return. “Sayang lamang” said Gilbert Paras of Barangay Dolores who manufactured the lantern annually. Not so much because of the thousands of pesos in prizes but more so of the popularity that the seasonal industry of lantern making had been receiving out of the town,” he added.

It was in 1980 that Governor Estelito Mendoza and then acting mayor Amante S. Bueno revived the tradition. There were however constraints to the festival. In 1982, Mayor Vicente Macalino decided that the lanterns should not exceed eleven feet in diameter but not less than ten feet. These austerity measures may have been in place as a sign of the times. But despite the trying times, eight barangays entered the competition that year.

A MULTI-SECTORAL EFFORT

Back in 1988, Mr. Antonio Castro, then a 64-year old native of Barangay Dolores, recalled the time when the time for the construction of the giant lanterns arrived. His family had been involved in lantern making since 1939 and these were very happy occasions. It was not just a family effort but also a barrio effort. “We paid no one, everybody worked in the spirit of bayanihan.”

In 1991, the Giant Lantern Festival was almost postponed in sympathy for those who were left homeless and jobless due to the Mount Pinatubo eruption. But Mayor Paterno Guevarra said “the people in the town said that it was not the right thing to do because people might think that San Fernando is likewise crippled and investments may not come in. “To Fernandinos, the Giant Lantern Festival was thus a sign of strength amidst the calamity that had just struck. Guevarra added, “Besides, it is a tradition and we cannot disappoint our friends who come a long way to see our famous lanterns. It was also an opportunity to utilize tourism potentials of Pampanga and hasten the rehabilitation in areas devastated by the eruption.”

Six giant lanterns entered the competition that year. The seventh lantern that of the depending champion Barangay Del Pilar, was disqualified from the competition for exceeding the maximum allowable size, to the disappointment of the barangay officials. They were instead entered as an exhibition lantern. But the spirit of giant lantern making still lived on. As according to Del Pilar Kagawad Francisco Peczon, “Mahirap talaga gumawa (ng giant lantern), at tunay na magastos pero ok lang sa amin iyon kasi naging tradisyon na at parang hindi kumpleto ang Pasko kapag hindi kami nakagawa niyan.” For the recently concluded 2001 Giant Lantern Festival, Barangay Del Pilar went home with the top honors.

With all that discussion on the creation of a giant lantern, one realizes that just by looking at the many materials and the amount of effort put into each lantern that would of course not be possible without incurred costs. And the expenses are definitely not loose change and are said to reach almost P200, 000 for each of these giant lanterns. So where do the participating barangays get their funds?

Being the most popular festival in Pampanga and world-renowned at that, no one can blame the City Government of San Fernando for putting so much value on the Giant Lantern Festival. It in fact provides the funding for most of the expenses of each lantern as it has done so in previous competitions. The administration of Dr. Rey B. Aquino gives its full support for this festival. And according to Mayor Aquino, for the year 2001 festival, the City Government released P70, 000 each barangay which entered the competition. San Fernando is simply living up to its well-earned name as the unmatched “Christmas Capital of the Philippines.”

Also back in 1991, the Department of Tourism gave a subsidy of P25, 000 to each lantern. However, that subsidy is no longer given to the lantern makers of San Fernando. In 1982, the cost of an 11-foot lantern was only P14, 000. And contributions came in from different sectors of San Fernando. The local government headed by Mayor Macalino shelled P5, 000, and Rotary International gave in P2, 000. In 1984, the municipal government under Mayor Virgilio L. Sanchez released P20, 000 for each lantern. In 1988 competition, the municipal government of Mayor Pat Guevarra shelled out P55, 000 subsidies for each lantern. The increasing subsidies are a sign of the times. But they also illustrate the unyielding fervor of Fernandinos to continue the festival despite the increasing costs of production.

And just like the festivals today, barangay officials are left to solicit the remaining amount which the subsidy did not cover. But many residents in the barangay are too willing to shell out money from their own pockets just to continue the tradition.

The subsidies may not be enough to cover all the expenses in creating the giant lanterns, nor are the rewards. Winners simply receive some prize money and a trophy. But that is not important to the barangays who join the festival. And according to many of the lantern makers, “kahit nga walang contest ay gagawa kami niyan.”

THE LANTERN-MAKING INDUSTRY

During the early years of the Giant Lantern Festival, people were only ask to see these works of art, innovation and technology during the contest night itself. According to Mr. Eddie Garcia, barangay secretary of Dolores in 1988, the San Fernando lanterns were done on a commission basis. And they were only made by the elders of the community. But some lantern-makers decided to make smaller versions for display in their own homes. This of course attracted the attention not only within the town but with other people as well. People who thus passed by San Fernando wanted to have a San Fernando lantern for their own homes in Manila. This sparked the beginning a new industry in Pampanga.

Seeing the business potential, younger people joined the lantern-making process. After learning the basics, they put up their own stalls along the roadside. It is said that the famous San Fernando lantern was made available to the public in 1964. Lantern makers began marketing this product outside the town by displaying these in various gas stations and delicacy centers in Metro Manila. The fascination for the lantern soon spread around the country and thus made San Fernando known for this trade.

Lantern making thus became a family trade passed on from generation to generation. There were about seventeen families known to make giant lanterns. They included the Garcias, Castros, Pazases, Carreons, Capatis, Mendozas.

Many people claim the credit for being the first to commercialize the San Fernando lantern-making trade. In Barangay San Jose, the Tiongson couple, Eddie and Maritel, claims the distinction. They began by making a few to decorate their store “Bahay Pasalubong” in San Matias, Sto. Tomas. To their surprise, most of their customers inquired where they got the lanterns and were offering to buy them. Taking a cue from these inquiries, the Tiongsons assembled their barriomates in San Jose and began a modest trade that eventually grew. Jesus Maglalang was their head lantern maker.

There is in fact so much export potential for this product as the fascination for this unique display of lights is universal and is much appreciated around the world. In fact, San Fernando giant lanterns have graced many international events such as the 75th Anniversary of the Philippine-Hawaii Commission way back in 1979, the Kutnitchiwa Asian Fair in Yokohama, Japan (1989) and the World Expo in Seville, Spain (1992) among others. But the most notable of these appearances was during the Holywood Christmas Parade of 1993 where the San Fernando lantern adorned the Philippine float entry to the parade. The Philippine float won top honors for that year.

A TRADE IN PERIL

Ironically, the older lantern makers say that the San Fernando lantern making trade is actually dying. They blame it on the introduction of new materials like capiz and Christmas lights. It you happen to pass by the Gapan-Olongapo Road or MacArthur Highway during the Christmas season evenings, you would notice so many new types of lanterns on display, most of which look so ordinary and at times, tasteless. Because of the introduction of these ordinary capiz parols in San Fernando lanterns have to compete with these other decors you can find anywhere in the country.

By introducing these lanterns that are not uniquely Fernandino, the lantern makers fail to realize that they are gradually killing the trade. In the future, gone will be the days of the flashing interplay of lights, vibrant colors and intricate designs, when the San Fernando lantern may just be reduced to a thing of the past.

CONCLUSION

It is a work of love and full of passion. How simple technology can produce such an advance technological interplay of lights is still a marvel to many who watch the Giant Lantern Festival year in and year out. The San Fernando giant lantern is a product of Kapampangan innovation, creativity and tireless effort. It is this innovation and creativity among Fernandinos that earned for the City of San Fernando, Pampanga, the moniker “Christmas Capital of the Philippines.” So the next time you witness their spectacular display of lights and color, do appreciate the hard work put into each of these works of art that can be considered truly Fernandino, truly Kapampangan.

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