PHILIPPINES: ANNUAL GIANT LANTERN FESTIVAL

(21 Dec 1997) Tagalog/Nat
Hundreds of Filipinos trooped to a local Christmas theme park in San Fernando in the Philippines this weekend to witness the annual giant lantern festival.
Ten giant Christmas lanterns, each measuring 18 metres in diameter, were put up for this year's competition.
The giant Christmas lantern festival in San Fernando in Pampanga province never fails to attract a large crowd.
Both local and foreign tourists gathered on Saturday at the theme park to witness the colourful play of lights rendered by the lantern display.
The festival, which takes place every year, is now a real tradition in this town.
This year, 10 villages participated in the Christmas lantern festival with one entry each.
It's believed that the festival started decades ago when town folk would bring small lanterns for a Christmas gathering after hearing mass and novenas.
Back then, the lanterns were small in sizes and lit only with candles.
A stark contrast to the lanterns of today, which measure as big as 18 metres in diameter and each use an average of 35-hundred light bulbs.
The lanterns are mounted on trucks with generators to power them and rotors to synchronise the lights.
The display is like a concert of sorts as the lanterns take turns in exhibiting their
kaleidoscope of lights, dancing to the tune of popular songs.
To make it more exciting, a cash price and a trophy are given to the lantern maker whose lantern features the best colour combination and best set the play of lights to the tempo of the music.
Those who were involved in the creation of the lanterns said this was not an easy task.
SOUNDBITE: (Tagalog)
"It's difficult to do it, like first of all, the electrical part. Then how to design the lantern, and colour combination. You should be good at that. Those are the most difficult.
Then how to draw the rotor so you know how the lantern will play in terms of its lights.
SUPER CAPTION: Albert Dungca, Giant Christmas lantern maker
A brand new lantern would cost about 300-thousand pesos (9-thousand U-S dollars), but one may choose to spend only half as much by modifying old ones.
Those who take part do not mind the expense.
They say its their way of contributing to the spirit of sharing brought by the Christmas season.
And for the lantern makers it's more than the prize that may await them if their entry is chosen as the best.
SOUNDBITE: (Tagalog)
"It's more of the Christmas spirit. Here when you talk of competition, there is still that competition but for most of the lantern makers, they want to compete only in terms of their art.
SUPER CAPTION: Robert David, Giant Christmas lantern maker
For them, the most rewarding part of the festival is seeing the smiles, knowing that their work of art has brought joy to the hundreds of people who came to watch it.
Find out more about AP Archive: www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter: / ap_archive
Facebook: / aparchives ​​
Instagram: / apnews
You can license this story through AP Archive: www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...

[@leahonate686]

this is nice