CITY OF SAN FERNANDO?Wishes for peace resonated loudly and brightly through giant lanterns that were lit Saturday in this Pampanga capital before some 70,000 spectators on the 101st year of a Christmas festival.

Five of the nine lanterns vying to be declared the champion in this year?s Ligligan Parul (Giant Lantern Festival) conveyed the message of peace.

The lanterns of Barangays Sta. Lucia, Dolores, San Nicolas, Telabastagan and Del Pilar either made a straightforward appeal for peace through a pattern of lights that flashed that word or combined the word with lighted images of angels, doves, the Infant Jesus or the Nativity scene.

The message cannot be ignored. The lanterns are 18 feet in diameter or as tall as a two-story building and as wide as three trucks parked side by side. This was the first time in at least a decade that so many lanterns appealed for peace.

?Every year we have one or two lanterns that called for peace but this time we have five [lanterns] doing that,? said Ching Pangilinan, tourism officer in the city.

It turned out that many of the craftsmen?simple people and devout Catholics?were sensitive to the signs of the times. ?Our world is getting to be more chaotic,? said Cesar Sicat, the designer of the Dolores lantern that was named the winner by a group of local and foreign judges.

Maguindanao massacre

He said the 57 victims of the Nov. 23 Maguindanao massacre, at least 30 of them media workers, were included in his prayers for peace.

?Of course, we include them in our prayers because they are our fellow Filipinos,? said Sicat, 61, a barber and an electrician.

Mayor Oscar Rodriguez said the roots of the festival, began in 1908 in Sta. Lucia at the boundary of Bacolor town, were actually religious?one that united villagers in the peace that the Child Jesus gifted humankind.

?We don?t only showcase our people?s creativity and talent. When a lantern is lit, it is our way of saying, ?Peace be with you in the name of Christ,?? Rodriguez said.

The Dolores lantern?s victory put the prestige back to the village that last topped the competition 17 years ago, said village treasurer Allen Mendoza.

Innovations

New techniques were seen in this year?s festival.

The lantern that Eric Quiwa designed for San Pedro did not win the judges? nod but it made history. Quiwa used fiberglass, not plastic, as sheets for the first time.

?[Fiberglass] gave a stained-like glass finish to the lantern. That?s similar to the stained glass windows in churches. I believe this will make the San Fernando lanterns more marketable,? said Quiwa, 37.

His father, Ernesto, is the last surviving maker in the league of second wave of pioneers like Mario Datu.

Cable rods

Eight of the lantern-makers used cable rods instead of the traditional hair clips. The rods?attached to the rounded aluminum sheets called rotors?provided contact between the bulbs and the source of electricity.

Seeking a third win, lantern designer Arnel Flores fitted the Telabastagan lantern with 8,300 bulbs. His work earned second place.

Lantern-makers from San Jose, the third placer, took two months to complete their piece.

Lantern-making is a craft carried on by second and third generations of craftsmen within families, ensuring the continuity of the tradition. The Bondocs, Quiwas, Davids, Floreses and Quimbaos are some of the top craftsmen here.

Financial support

The city government and the Giant Lantern Festival committee support the villages that sustain the tradition.

Each village was given P111,111. The rest of the cost of building the lantern is shouldered by villagers through bayanihan (community cooperation).

Each lantern can give off 50 or so patterns of light in a seven-minute musical performance.

On Saturday night, clouds hid the stars, leaving the lanterns all by themselves to shine out in their replication of the Star of Bethlehem.

Celebration of life

?The occasion is a celebration of life, love and art,? said Gov. Eddie Panlilio.

Telabastagan village chief Remegio de Jesus was sad that their entry failed to enter the competition?s hall of fame.

?But the fact that we were allowed to join was already a big thing for us,? he said.

Spectators left the venue, Robinsons Starmills, with fond impressions. The best are chosen by their design, color combination and interplay of lights and color.

Impressed

Muchit Mejia Villasol, 67, a Kapampangan who is based in Makati City, watched the lanterns for the first time.

?I never thought it could be this nice. I?m very impressed of its uniqueness. You?ll never see this anywhere in the world,? she said.

Sophie Alexandra Tan, 12, said: ?We?ve been learning these lanterns in class but I?ve never seen them up close. It takes talent to make lanterns and I?m impressed how Kapampangans do them.?

Canadian

Canadian Harry Thompson, 53, said a similar festival was being held in his country. ?But this one?s nicer. I?d probably go back next year to watch it again,? he said.

Romualdo David, a San Fernando resident, said the lanterns this year were ?more beautiful.?

?They have been improved. I hope the budget for lantern-making could be bigger next year so more villages can join,? he said.

In the early years, lantern-making was confined to the southern villages because these were near the San Fernando cathedral and much closer to Bacolor where the festival originated through processions called lubenas (novenas).

So far, only nine of 33 villages compete in the festival. With a report from Charlene Cayabyab, Inquirer Central Luzon