Christmas is probably one of the most celebrated holidays in the Philippines. In preparation for the holiday, most establishments and local communities start to play some Christmas carols and put up décors using the traditional “parol” or star lantern.
From brightly colored star-shaped lanterns to lighted Capiz-shell décors, the parol symbolizes hope and light for the Christmas season regardless of its shape and size.
Aside from new Christmas attractions, you can find plenty of parol shops in the Philippines, lighted up along the roads.
In this article, we’ve picked some of the best parol makers where you can purchase in bulk or for home décor purposes.
Rolren's Lantern and General Merchandise
The pride of San Fernando, Pampanga when it comes to lantern making is Rolren's Lantern and General Merchandise (also known as Rolando Quiambao's Lantern Factory) owned by Mr. Roland Quiambao aka “Master Lantern Maker.”
Opened in 1986, Rolren's Lantern and General Merchandise has since grown to become one of the biggest parol suppliers in the Philippines, as well as in the United States and Europe.
This parol maker from the Philippines has brought honor to his hometown by exhibiting his first-ever mural lantern during the Taiwan International Lantern Festival in 2017. He has received various recognitions including The Outstanding Filipinos in America (TOFA) and Hall of Famer in Pampanga’s Giant Lantern Festival for four consecutive years. The local city government of San Fernando also commissioned his work to decorate the streetlamp posts with handmade parols.
Location: 1142 11th Avenue, Unisite Subdivision, Del Pilar, San Fernando City 2000 Pampanga
DJ's Capiz Lantern
This parol maker in the Philippines is also a dealer of raw Capiz shells and Capiz lanterns available for wholesale and individual purchase.
Some of the parols available, as of writing, are Poinsettia LED (20 inches), Native LED (25 inches), Tala White LED (25 inches), fiber balls with warm white steady bulbs (10 pieces per set), fiber bells with hanging Santa (five pieces per set), fiber gazebo (10 pieces per set), and more. If you wish to order, you may contact them through their Facebook page and look for Kristine Ramos or Wilma Jismundo.
Location: 760 Delpan Street, Binondo, Manila
Parol De Pampanga
Parol De Pampanga is a seasonal online store and parol maker in the Philippines that uses Capiz shells, fibers, LED strip lights, and bulbs for their products.
The Capiz balls that they sell come in three different sizes: small (P1,500), medium (P2,000), and large (P2,500). They also have Special Tala parol (P2,000), tiny parol (P900), 24-inch natural white poinsettia parol (P3,600), and more. To place an order, you may email Parol De Pampanga at paroldepampanga@gmail.com or call 0951 776 8087.
Location: Town and Country Southville Subd. Brgy. Sto. Tomas, Biñan, Laguna
Parol PH
Parol PH was created by a small team with the goal of making parols accessible to everyone wherever they may be. They aspire to elevate the Filipino spirit through bright and multicolored star lanterns.
Their bestselling parols include the Gaspar colored (P2,900-P4,600), Esperanza colored (P2,900), Rosa colored (P4,600), Rosa white (P2,900), and Vicenta White (P4,600), among others. If you’re looking for other Christmas décor, they also sell “Hardin Capiz Collection” handcrafted by local artisans using sustainably sourced Capiz shells. Each piece is inspired by luminous gardens that is stunning during the daytime and shine brighter at night.
To view more products, visit their online shop on Facebook.
Location: Central, Diliman, Quezon City, Metro Manila
