18-year-old holiday tradition lives on

THE NUMBER of families participating in Policarpio Street’s annual Christmas spectacle may be down to three, but the displays still draw in people from nearby communities who have made the trip to the area part of their annual holiday tradition. JOVIC YEE

Four-year-old Jamaica Ponay tugged at the arms of her mother and older brother as soon as her father was done taking their picture in front of Norma Lim’s house, one of the few on Policarpio Street in Mandaluyong City which has continued the years-old tradition of putting on dazzling Christmas displays using lights, Santa figures and other holiday decorations.

Her mother Michelle told the Inquirer that even before Jamaica was born, visiting Policarpio Street every week has been part of their family’s holiday routine.

“We have been bringing the kids here every year for the past eight years because they are delighted and amazed by the lights and decorations on the houses,” Michelle said.

According to barangay (village) councilor Liza Cruz, the annual Christmas spectacle on Policarpio Street was started in 1996 by the Lim, Suva and Dalisay families.

The project, she said, was mainly intended to bring about “community harmony,” not to help the street gain prominence nor attract visitors from other communities.

However, after two years, the houses’ elaborate Christmas displays led to the area being recognized by the Mandaluyong City government as a tourist attraction.

As a result, Policarpo soon saw an influx of visitors from neighboring cities and even far-off provinces who wanted to see for themselves the well-adorned houses.

At the peak of the street’s popularity from 2002 to 2008, Cruz said that the number of visitors made it hard even for the residents themselves to go out of their houses. The project was so well received by the public that fast-food giants and ambulant vendors saw an opportunity to cash in by setting up shop in the area and selling their products.

What was supposed to bring holiday cheer to the public soon turned into a problem with busloads of visitors leaving their garbage behind and residents complaining of damage to their vehicles parked out on the street. Even worse was the rising number of people who were victimized by pickpockets.

Cruz said that as a result, the majority of Policarpio residents decided to pull out of the project, leaving only the three original participants—the Suvas, Dalisays and the Lims.

According to Lim, her family decided to continue decorating their house every year because “it brings joy to a lot of people.”

“We don’t want to let go of this tradition partly because we’re one of the pioneers. Also, it’s fun to see children who are eager to have their photos taken in front of our house,” she said.

A good place to bond

Policarpio Street may not be as brightly lit as before but Michelle said that her family still frequents the area because it remains a good place for them “to bond and feel the holidays.”

Policarpio Homeowners Association president Joey Millar, meanwhile, urged visitors not to lose sight of the real meaning of Christmas. “The decorations and lights may take their minds away from the problems they have, but hopefully they won’t forget that the season is really about the birth of Christ,” he said.

For her part, Lim said that the Belen has been a staple decoration in their house because it reminds the public of the “life lived and given up by Christ for us.” And giving joy to visitors is their family’s way of showing their “love for Christ,” she added.

“He gave his life for us. Hopefully, we could also do something for others because that’s one way of expressing our love for him,” she said.