CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The iconic Christmas lanterns from this capital city are set to light up the upcoming Christmas concert in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) this coming December 6.
Entitled “Paskong Pinoy in the Year of Tolerance: A Christmas Concert,” the event serves as the Philippine Embassy’s major cultural diplomacy project that ushers in the Christmas season for Filipino communities in Abu Dhabi.
Several Parul Sampernandu (Christmas lanterns from San Fernando) will be displayed at the event venue where hundreds of Filipinos, expatriates, and locals are expected to attend.
Aside from the concert, the radiant parols, the world-renowned Christmas lanterns also filled the Philippine booth in the recently-concluded National Festival of Tolerance and Humanity held at the Umm Al Emarat Park in Abu Dhabi, UAE from November 8 to 16 2019.
Forty Embassies and the Abu Dhabi government entities participated in the annual festival, and was witnessed by thousands of guests from the UAE government officials, diplomatic corps, business community, media personalities, Filipino community, and other nationalities.
The display of the iconic Christmas lantern is the embassy’s contribution to this year’s festival which highlights Philippine lantern-making technology and tradition.
The parols were flown in from the City of San Fernando Pampanga, known for its Giant Lantern Festival and the title “Christmas Capital of the Philippines.”
The display was made possible through the generosity of the City of San Fernando, Pampanga, the City Tourism of San Fernando, with the assistance of the Bayanihan Council.
This year’s festival highlights the importance of strengthening the values and principles associated with tolerance and coexistence in building meaningful relationships as the UAE has declared 2019 as the Year of Tolerance.