Inmates’ parol light V. Rama

As Pasko sa V. Rama celebrates its 16th year, not only will the streets of barangays San Nicolas, Calamba and Guadalupe come alive with lights and décor.

The annual activity would also help at least 27 Cebu City jail inmates and their families have a merry Christmas.

About 100 Christmas lanterns or parol are being ordered from the inmates as street décor to be put up in the first week of December along the three-kilometer road stretch, said Gissela Palacio, Pasko sa V. Rama project chairperson.

“We are very thankful for the support, especially that it’s Christmas,” said Senior Jail Officer 1 Marlon Abar, who is in charge of the inmates’ male dormitory.

The Rotary Club of Guadalupe is buying the lanterns at P488 each for the project.

Pasko sa V. Rama is also a neighborhood contest of the best display of nativity scenes or belen and other Christmas décor.

The celebration will open on Dec. 1 with 21 participating clusters.

Residents along the entire stretch of V. Rama Avenue from the Guadalupe church to the corner of N. Bacalso Avenue in San Nicolas will compete for prizes of P25,000. Each cluster of residents receives a seed fund of P5,000 to start work.

Barangay Guadalupe has the biggest group with 15 clusters. Five clusters are from barangay Calamba and one from San Nicolas.

The Cebu city government, which supports the activity as a way to promote tourism and culture, set aside P681,500 for the event, mostly for contest prizes.

Mayor Michael Rama said he wanted every Cebuano family to enjoy the beauty of Christmas, even those who don’t own Christmas décor at home.

“All will have a chance to celebrate Christmas by going around Cebu City and seeing the beautiful lights,” he said of the project, which Rama has supported over the years as a vice mayor and a councilor.

Detainees get to earn money for their families since P200 of the P488 cost of each lantern will go to the craftsmen. The remaining P288 is spent for materials.

The traditional Filipino parol—a five-pointed star—is made of thin bamboo frames and covered with colored cellophane, rice paper or papel de Japon. Two tails are attached for the star’s rays.

Th decor reminds Christians of the star that guided the three magi to the manger where the newborn Jesus lay.

Some of the lanterns already hang along V. Rama Avenue, original designs of the inmates earlier submitted to Mayor Rama for approval, said Palacio.

He said “ingenuity” was important to come up with good-quality lights and décor when one is working with limited funds.

Other orders were made by Pasko sa Colon organizers who bought 100 lanterns while JY Square shopping center in Lahug 50 lanterns. (It would have been 100 but inmates could no longer meet the Dec. 1 deadline due to the heavy workload.)

V. Rama is organized by the Rotary Club of Cebu-Guadalupe with the support of the city government. Final judging is set on Dec. 17. Winners will be awarded on January 2012. /by Hannah Aranas