City gov't all set for 'Ligligan Parul'
The City Government of San Fernando has stepped up preparations for the 117th Giant Lantern Festival (GLF) or "Ligligan Parul 2025" to be staged at Robinsons Starmills on December 13.
During the media conference at Heroes Hall on Monday, Mayor Vilma Caluag emphasized that safety and preparedness are the GLF 2025 executive committees' priorities, as thousands are expected to watch the festival.
“We need to be prepared for the Giant Lantern Festival. Safety is our top priority as we welcome thousands of visitors from around the world. We invite everyone to join us on December 13 and celebrate the brilliance of San Fernando as the Christmas Capital of the Philippines,” Caluag said.
To ensure safety and order, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office Head Raymond Del Rosario said that the City Incident Management Team has already been activated.
"The public is assured of comprehensive safety measures during the festival. We have more or less 400 incident personnel, including security, medical, fire suppression, and volunteers from accredited community disaster groups,” he said.
Del Rosario noted the city government's best practices in handling festivals.
“We are one of the few cities in the Philippines that actually use the Incident Command System for planned events. This is one of our best practices in ensuring safety during the Giant Lantern Festival,” Del Rosario added.
This year, the "Ligligan Parul" will showcase giant lanterns from 10 barangays crafted by master lantern makers: Bulaon (Mark Niño Flores), Calulut (Syakina Leigh Bondoc), Del Pilar (Florante Parilla), Del Rosario (Ryan Joshua David), Dolores (Teddy Aguilar), San Jose (Mary Ann Torres), San Juan (Arnel Flores), San Nicolas (Edmar David), Santa Lucia (Karl Ernest Quiwa), and Santo Niño (Byron Bondoc).
GLF 2025 Chairperson Noel Gomez said the participating barangays have pledged to showcase their best in the GLF, combining innovation with tradition, culture and heritage in keeping with the religious roots of the Parul Sampernandu, the "lubenas."
“Every year, our barangays put their hearts into these lanterns. It’s not just about winning but about showing the creativity and unity of Fernandinos,” he said.
For her part, City Tourism and Investment Promotions Officer Ma. Lourdes Carmella Jade Pangilinan said that after the December 13 "ligligan" or competition, the lanterns will remain on exhibition at Robinsons Starmills until January 1, 2026, with additional shows at Capital Town Pampanga, City Town Center in Calulut and MarQuee Mall.
Dubbed as the “Christmas Capital of the Philippines,” the GLF is the annual celebration of San Fernando’s lantern-making tradition, where barangays compete by presenting giant, intricately designed lanterns that symbolize Kapampangan artistry and community pride.