Giant Lantern Festival-San Fernando Pampanga

The Giant Lantern Festival is an annual festival held in December (Saturday before Christmas Eve) in the City of San Fernando in the Philippines. The festival features a competition of giant lanterns. Because of the popularity of the festival, the city has been nicknamed the "Christmas Capital of the Philippines".

The first lantern festival was held to honor President Manuel L. Quezon. At that time, Quezon made Arayat his rest area and converted Mount Arayat into a tourist resort. As a show of gratitude to Quezon, the people of San Fernando held a Christmas lantern contest to honor the first family. Quezon himself donated the prize for his lantern contest, which was personally awarded to the winner by First Lady Aurora Aragon Quezon.

In the years that followed, more innovations were introduced to the giant lanterns. Colored plastics replaced traditional papel de hapon. Large steel barrels called rotors also substituted the hand-controlled switches to manipulate the lights. And lanterns have grown in size, approximately 20-feet today, and illuminated by about 3,500 to 5,000 light bulbs.

source: wikipedia

According to Ivan Henares, the festival started from Bacolor.

The San Fernando lantern industry evolved from the Giant Lantern Festival of San Fernando. The festival, which is held every December, finds its roots in Bacolor where a much simpler activity was held. Following the transfer of the provincial capital from Bacolor to San Fernando in August of 1904, this parul event followed as well. "Ligligan Parul" was said to have started in San Fernando in the year 1904. But some say that the "Ligligan Parul" did not happen immediately after the transfer and in fact began in 1908.

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Biography of President ELPIDIO QUIRINO

For the biography of ELPIDIO QUIRINO in Tagalog, please go to this page.


Elpidio Rivera Quirino was born on November 16, 1890 in Vigan Ilocos Sur. He was the sixth president of the Philippines.

His parents were Mariano Quirino and Gregoria Rivera who were both from Caoayan, Ilocos Sur. He attended Vigan High School but graduate in Manila High School in 1911 while working in the Bureau of Lands.

He studied law in the University of the Philippines and graduated in 1915. He passed the bar later that year. After practicing law, he run for congressman and was elected from 1919 to 1925. He was elected Senator from 1925 to 1931. Then he served as Secretary of Finance and Interior under the Commonwealth government.

His wife Alicia Syquia Quirino died in World War 2 with three of their five children.

After the war, he was elected Vice-President of the Republic of the Philippines with Manuel Roxas as the president.

When Manuel Roxas died of stroke, he assumed the presidency on April 17, 1948. The following year, he was elected as the President of the Philippines for a four year term. His daughter Vicki Quirino performed the First Lady's functions.

His administration was tainted by graft and corruption and faced a serious threat from the Hukblalahap, an anti-Japanese guerilla army which tried to overthrow the government.

He tried to run for reelection in 193 but lost to Ramon Magsaysay.

ELPIDIO QUIRINO-Talambuhay

Para sa talambuhay ni ELPIDIO QUIRINO sa English, pumunta dito.



Si ELPIDIO EIVERA QUIRINO ay ipinanganak noong Nobyembre, 16, 1890 sa Vigan, Ilocos Sur. Siya ay ikaanim na pangulo ng Pilipinas.

Ang mga magulang niya ay si Mariano Quirino at Gregoria Rivera na parehong taga Caoayan, Ilocos Sur. Siya ay nag-aral sa Vigan High School pero nagtapos siya sa Manila High School noong 1911 habang siya ay nagtatrabaho sa Bureau of Lands.



Nag-aral siya ng pagkadalubhasa sa Batas sa Pamantasan ng Pilipinas at nagtapos noong 1915.

Pumasok siya sa pulitika noong 1919 hanggang 1925 bilang congressman at bilang senador noong 1925 to 1931.

Naging Kalihim siya ng Pananalapi at Interior sa gobyernong Commonwealth ng Pilipinas.

Noong Ikalawang digmaan ng Pilipinas, namatay ang kaniyang asawang si Alicia Syquia Quirino at ang tatlo sa kanilang limang anak.

Inihalal siyang Bise-presidente pagkatapos ng giyera kung saan ang pangulo ay si Manuel Roxas.

Nang mamatay si Manuel Roxas sa atake sa puso, siya ay naging pangulo noong April 17, 1948.

Sa sumunod na taon siya ay inihalal bilang Pangulo para sa apat na taon. Ang kaniyang anak na si Vicki Quirino ang tumayo bilang unang Ginang.

Ang kaniyang administrasyon ay nabahiran ng mga kasong katiwalian at ang pakikilaban sa mga Hukbalahap.



Tumakbo ulit siya sa pagkapangulo noong 1953 pero tinalo siya ni Ramon Magsaysay.

Gregorio Del Pilar- Bayani ng Tirad Pass

Talambuhay ni Gregoria del Pilar


Si Gregorio del Pilar y Sempio ay ipinanganak noong Nobyembre 14, 1875 at namatay noong December 2, 1899. Siya ay isa sa pinakabatang heneral sa Rebolusyon s Pilipinas at ang Giyera ng Filipino at Amerikano.
Ang kaniyng mg magulang ay sina Fernando H. del Pilar at Felipa Sempio ng Bulacan, Bulacan. Siya ay pamangkin nina Marcelo H. del Pilar at Toribio H. del Pilar.
Siya ay nagtapos sa Ateneo de Manila noong 1896 sa edad na dalawampu. Nang magkaroon ng rebolusyon laban sa Espanya sumali sya kay Andres Bonifacio.
Siya ay kinuha ni Emilio Aguinaldo upang siyang manguna sa mga tropa sa Bulacan at Nueva Eciha.

Nang pumutok ang labanan ng Filipino laban sa Amerikano noong Febrero 1899, natalo niya si Major Franklin Bell at napatay niya si Koronel John Stotsenburg.
Noong Disyembre 2, 1899 , pinangunahan niya ang animnapung sundalo para bantayan ang Tirad Pass upang makatakas si Heneral Emilio Aguinaldo.
Nambaril siya sa leeg na kaniyng ikinmatay. Matagal bago nailibing ang kaniyang labi na walang pangalan.

Nakilala na lamang siya dahil sa kaniyang gintong ngipin na ipinalagay niy noong siya ay nasa Hongkong.