The Giant Lantern Festival, known in Kapampangan as Ligligan Parul, is the signature Christmas celebration of the City of San Fernando in Pampanga, a city widely regarded as the Christmas Capital of the Philippines. Competing barangays present giant lanterns, or parul, built with thousands of light bulbs arranged in intricate, kaleidoscopic patterns that have made San Fernando lantern-making famous across the country.
The list below records the winners of the 2016 competition as announced that year. Barangay Dolores was named Grand Champion for the third straight year, followed by Barangay Calulut as first runner-up and Barangay Sindalan as second runner-up, continuing a friendly rivalry among the city’s lantern-making communities.
The photos on this page are from the 2016 festival trip, showing the winning lanterns of Dolores, Calulut and Sindalan.
Grand Champion – Brgy. Dolores (3 Years Straight)
Brgy Dolores
1st Runner-up – Brgy. Calulut
Brgy Calulut
2nd Runner up Brgy. Sindalan
Brgy Sindalan
For another long-running San Fernando, Pampanga tradition documented on this site, see GOOD FRIDAY – CUTUD, SAN FERNANDO PAMPANGA.