The heritage district of Angeles City in Pampanga, scintillated with more than a hundred Christmas lanterns as residents and devotees of eight barangays gathered together for “Ing Lubenas ning Pasku 2024” on 14 December.

Held before the actual start of lubenas, the special event was a showcase of creativity of local communities as manifested in eye-catching, hand-crafted lanterns, the outstanding feature of the folk Catholic tradition held during the Christmas season.

The lanterns were all lit up, powered by portable generators or batteries, adding to their attractiveness, as the barangay groups participated in a procession in the early evening, after a Mass, starting at the Holy Rosary Parish Church, going around the city proper, and ending at the church, where a program followed.

The barangay of Cutcut showcased the lanterns created by the family of 66-year-old Renato “Rene” Feliciano Calma, who is considered one of the city’s master lantern makers and who has introduced several ways of making the lanterns, including the intricate designs. While not coming from a lantern-making family, he is able to pass on the knowledge and skill to his children, to his own community and even to other towns, such as Magalang, where the lubenas was recently revived.

Most of these lanterns were made of paper with bamboo frames, but other materials were also used such as dried vines in the lanterns of Santa Teresita.

Aside from Cutcut and Santa Teresita, the other participating barangays were Malabanias, Pampang, Pandan, Pulungbulu, Santo Domingo and Santo Rosario.

Organized by the city government and attended by local politicians, the program was held on Santo Entierro Street, in front of the church, the city’s only cobblestone road that is still existing, where each barangay presented a three- to five-minute performance, including elements of dance, singing, street drama and formation making using the lanterns to the accompaniment of an official song, composed for the event.