TEXT AND PHOTOS BY WYONNA QUIAMBAO

Presenting the centerpieces of City of San Fernando, Pampanga, the annual Giant Lantern Festival is one event to behold among Kapampangans, with barangays competing to win the title of the best lantern.

One of the families making Christmas lanterns is the Pineda family.

They are part of the parol-making legacy. They use lightbulbs to a sustainable yet magnificent use of colorful rays of light.

Crowded with unfinished drafts of parol designs, the Pineda family relentlessly powers through the tick of the clock, finishing up their lanterns for their clients from Central Luzon and beyond—as far as Dapitan City in Mindanao and Iloilo City in the Visayas.

With extensive preparations as it is only their source of income, Leslie Pineda is featured as a lantern artist alongside his family.

The diligent art of lantern-making will be passed on to Leslie’s family members, visibly seeing the passion etched on their artistry and proficiency.

The bright sky might dim over the passing of time, but the artisans make use of every minute, skillfully twisting every wire onto the next draft until it beams throughout the gloomy night sky.