PRESS RELEASE
WDC-51-2019
09 December 2019
WASHINGTON, D.C.– Over 300 visitors composed of families with young children participated in the first-ever “Philippines Day and Ligligan Parul” held at the KID Museum on 08 December 2019 from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Ligligan Parul or Festival of Light is an annual festival held in mid-December in the City of San Fernando Pampanga, Philippines that feature a competition of giant lanterns to welcome the Christmas season.
Kids were introduced to the Philippine lantern and were given materials to create and design their own lanterns that they could bring home with them. They likewise participated in crafts making and textile projects featuring the Philippine tarsier, parawboat, and tigmamanukan (fairy bluebird).
A set of fun and interactive activities also added entertainment for the eager kids, including Filipino macaroni salad-making demonstration, lumpia shanghai (fried egg rolls) food tasting, Filipino folktales interactive storytelling, and Tinikling bamboo dance presentation.
“As we celebrate the Christmas season, we are proud to impart unique Filipino traditions, which will help foster stronger bonds within Filipino-American families and communities. This is what the holiday season is really all about,” said Ambassador Jose Manuel G. Romualdez in a statement.
The pioneer event was made possible through collaboration with the Filipino Young Professionals of Washington DC (FYPDC) and Mabuhay Inc. Both organizations contributed time, manpower, and resources beginning from the planning stages of the event up until the execution during the program day itself.
FYPDC led the food demonstration and storytelling session, while Mabuhay Inc. led the tinikling dance presentation and a 2nd storytelling session. ###
