Giant parol from Pampanga shines bright in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO – It’s beginning to look a lot like Filipino Christmas in the Bay Area. The world-renowned giant parol from Pampanga – dubbed the “Christmas Capital of the Philippines” – is now shining bright in San Francisco.

Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Ferrer and his wife Miriam led the Filipino community in the parol lighting ceremony at the Philippine Center on Thursday.

The Pampanga provincial government donated the giant parol made by local artisans with Fiberlan Christmas Lanterns at Barangay Santa Lucia in San Fernando, the province’s capital. The parol is 8 feet wide and 8 feet high.

The world-renowned giant parol from Pampanga was lit up for the very first time in San Francisco. CONTRIBUTED

In his remarks, Ferrer said the lighting ceremony was a historic moment for the Filipino community in the Bay Area.

“May its bright lights inspire us to not only become citizen ambassadors of Filipino culture in the United States, but also become messengers of goodwill and love to everyone at a time when peace remains elusive in our world today,” Ferrer said.

While lighting Christmas trees usually kicks off the holiday season in the United States, “it is the lighting of the parol that marks the beginning of the biggest celebration for many Filipino homes,” he added.

The lighting of the giant parol was a joint project of the consulate and the Pampanga provincial government.

Ferrer acknowledged Pampanga Governor Dennis Pineda, the Pampanga  tourism office, the Department of Foreign Affairs consular office in San Fernando, the Department of Tourism office in San Francisco and the Philippine Airlines for helping make the event possible.

Consul General Neil Ferrer and his wife Miriam lead the parol lighting ceremony. From left, Ferrer, his wife Miriam, Consul Jed Llona, Deputy Consul General Raquel Solano, Consul Rowena Pangilinan-Daquipil, Tourism Director Soleil Tropicales and Vice Consul Adrian Baccay. CONTRIBUTED

He also thanked those who supported the Fil-Am holiday events in the Bay Area, including Merkado Kultura, the 21st Annual Parol Lantern Festival and the launch of the Filipino Christmas-themed San Francisco cable car along the Powell Street-Fisherman’s Wharf Line.

The Philippine consul general also invited the public to the consulate’s yearly Christmas party for Filipino seniors at the Philippine Center on Dec. 13. He also announced the #LoveThePhilippines tourism and fashion show at the San Francisco Ferry Building on Dec. 30.

At the lighting ceremony, Pampanga-born Filipino visual artist Venazir Martinez presented an artwork that tells the story of Francisco Estanislao, Pampanga’s first-recorded parol-maker.

The event reception featured bibingka, a holiday favorite, donated by Kapampangan food caterer Andrew Razon Garcia of ARG Razon’s Halo-Halo.

The sparkling lights of the giant Pampanga parol will dazzle both locals and tourists every night at the Philippine Center near Union Square until the first week of January 2024.

The parol is the traditional Filipino Christmas lantern, inspired by the Star of Bethlehem that guided the three wise men to Christ’s nativity.

The term parol is derived from the Spanish word “farol” or lamp. In earlier times, the parol lit up the roads to churches at night, where Catholics attended the Simbang Gabi, the nine-day dawn masses leading to Christmas Day.