Pampanga’s Giant Lanterns

Last December, I met Ivan Henares and he was kind enough to tour me around Pampanga which culminated in the Giant Lantern Festival of San Fernando, Pampanga! Ever since then, I got fascinated with these giant lanterns that are 18th feet in diameter. I vowed to visit these lanterns when they are being constructed to appreciate them better.

Check out how these lanterns are created…

Last year’s winner was Barangay San Felipe whose lantern was created by Roland Quiambao — one of the famous lantern makers in Pampanga. He created the giant parol that showed an angel with moving wings. And so,mnbbbbb gs//. we went to Roland’s lantern factory to see how these giant parols are created…

In Rolands’ lantern factory, they reuse the bulbs dipped in car paint by removing the wires and the paint itself.

Then they start to put a new set of wires with white electrical tape on all of the bulbs.

Roland started to design Barangay San Felipe’s giant lantern parol entry to this year’s festival.

They would use cardboards to separate the set of bulbs. Each set represent a “pixel’ of the parol where each one can change its color to blue, red, green or yellow color.

Just look at the complicated wiring mechanisms needed to power these lanterns.

From the outside, you can see the different colored bulbs behind the translucent paper.

The parol lights are operated by these huge cylindrical trigger mechanisms. It has patterns dictated by the masking tape on its body. Every time the contact leads of the bulbs touches a non-masking taped portion, the bulb lights up.

Thanks to Roland Quiambao for showing us how they created these giant lanterns!

This year, we decided to create our first tour with the giant lantern festival as the culminating event. Join us and we already have 27 people reserved and we are thinking of using a bus instead of a coaster to accommodate a few more people….

The ULTIMATE Kapampangan Show-off!
Saturday December 15, 2007 | 7:30 am – 12:00 mn| Tour cost P4,500 (all in plus surprises)

The Tour Summary
“Well, not quite Manila but still close…. Journey to the Northern heartland as we immerse ourselves in things Kapampangan! From Baroque to Betute, its fun-filled day as we poke around and get intimate with the very best of Pampanga’s cultural offerings. We’ll gawk at the jewel-box of church in Betis while wading through the half-buried town of Bacolor. We’ll stuff ourselves silly with the best Kapampangan fare by one of the country’s best known Pampango chefs! To it cap-off, we’ll have front-row view of the most dazzling display of Kapmpangan artistry- the Parul Festival of San Fernando! A tour screming with Pampango pride!”

The Tour Experience
* Betis Church* Town of Bacolor*Claude Tayag’s Bale Dutung Restaurant* Pampanga Specilaty Shops* Ligligan Parul Festival in San Fernando
  
This tour is brought to you by Our Awesome Planet, Ivan About Town, Manila Boy and Old Manila Walks . This will be the best Pampanga tour experience by people who love Pampanga!

To reserve for this tour, please pay P4,500 before December 12, 2007. Email me anton@diaz.ph on payment arrangement and details…