Lantern makers differ on using new technology for Pampanga’s famous parul

Published December 18, 2017 8:37pm

The whole class was flabbergasted. Slide after slide, they were in amazement as I unraveled, through photographs, the inner workings of a giant lantern made out of 12,000 bulbs interconnected by a mind-boggling eight kilometers of electrical wiring to a rotor that supplies the electricity to power San Fernando's shining stars.

"I never imagined it is as complicated as that, Sir! Taga Pampanga din ako!" one student commented.

Inside one of Pampanga's famous giant lanterns are thousands of bulbs and eight kilometers of wiring. All photos by Ruston Banal

I showed images of this folk art tradition to my art appreciation class in university with the intention of making my young students realize the complex process of making a giant parul.

I showed them a video of a flickering giant parul. Its interplay of kaleidoscopic color combinations might appear easy to do, given that lighting design and function can be managed through a computer.

But the traditional giant parul is not built by computer; it is a manual creation that realizes the lantern maker's design and imagination. It has been this way for the last hundred years.

The filaments (contact points) of the rotor.

New ways vs. old

For Karlo Ernest Quiwa, however, the giant lantern needs to keep up with the times. A young member of a well-known family in the giant lantern industry, Kee—as he is called in his Sta. Lucia hometown—formed a group of parul makers aged 15 to 26 to continue the tradition, but with the aid of modern technology.

Kee's familiarity with 3D software facilitates the construction of a giant lantern, with the lighting installations and design done in a 3D render before the actual structure is built.

Conventionally, it would take a long time, and a lot of trial and error, to connect the circuits of a lantern 25 feet in diameter. But using software avoids these usual errors, and the flicker and lighting combinations automated by machine offers unlimited possibilities.

Rolando Quiambao, one of the prime movers in the preservation of giant lantern-making in the city, has a different take. For him, technology is good, but not always good for everything.

One example is the use of LED lights. According to Quiambao, incandescent light bulbs are now being replaced by LED lights that are much cheaper and last longer.

"Clients now prefer this modern light device because of longevity, so they can still use them for the next Christmas," he said.

However, he adds, something is lost in the transition.

"The romantic color which adds to the feel of the Christmas season is lost," he said. "LED lights cast a solid-opaque color that is too bright and takes away the light-to-dark atmosphere of a parul that adds romance to the piece of art."

LED or no? More traditional light bulbs are seen inside a parul.

Quiambao also believes that using the parul San Fernando as an everyday decorative device takes away the elusiveness of the art.

"Seeing the parul regularly will no longer make them sought-after. It will make them just a regular decorative device," he said.

Roland Quiambao poses with smaller examples of the San Fernando parul.

The Giant Lantern Festival

One of the times it is perfect to display these paruls, however, is during the Ligligan Parul, which happens in the second week of December

Participating barrios each enter a giant lantern in the city-wide competition. The overall production cost ranges from P400,000 to P600,000. The townspeople kick in funds to augment the LGU's subsidy.

In most cases, bulbs are recycled, but for safety reasons the electrical wires are regularly changed every year.

This year, a panel of judges led by sculptor Ramon Orlina chose Barangay Dolores' entry as the grand prize winner, extending their winning streak to four years in a row.

Below is Barangay Dolores' parul.