Iloilo city: Around 1,000 Christmas lanterns (parol) will illuminate Iloilo City’s major thoroughfare this Christmas season. Now on its fifth year, the Ilonggo Rising Parol project is a partnership between the Iloilo City government and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Iloilo chapter. The simultaneous lighting of lanterns will be on Dec. 1.
According to Philippines News Agency, PCCI chair Felix Tiu, who is in charge of the ‘parol’ committee, stated in an interview that the project aims to beautify the city during the Christmas season and simultaneously assist persons deprived of liberty (PDL). In other cities, the local government typically funds the entire project, but in Iloilo City, the government provides the bulbs and budget for the installation.
Tiu explained that the role of the PCCI is to solicit the lanterns, handle design, and manage the overall project. This initiative benefits the PDL under the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP). Tiu encouraged businessmen in Iloilo to support the project by sponsoring a parol, each costing PHP2,500, which aids the PDL of BJMP.
The city expects to raise PHP2.5 million from the 1,000 lanterns, with PHP1 million allocated for the PDL for labor and materials. Each PDL is paid PHP300 for every lantern they complete, and currently, around 40 PDL are working on the project.
