Dropped by the REFMAD Farms in Burgos a couple of days ago. I just loved the parol hanging on the cafe’s ceiling. Parol is traditionally a lantern made with papel de Hapon (Japanese paper) and cellophane glued over a star-shaped bamboo frame. On Christmastime, more often than not, Filipino Catholic homes are decorated with parols and almost every town in the Philippines has a parol-making contest. Parol-making has evolved through the years. While others favor expensive intricate parols, some with complex lighting system, others still go for the more austere DIY parols. Parols made out of recycled or indigenous materials have also been showing up as of late.
The dragon fruit farm’s dragon fruit parol is simple, yet it attracts the eye. It’s my very first time to see a parol fashioned after a saniata (the new Ilocano term for the fruit, which means blooming and promising). Such a unique and creative translation, yet unmistakably Filipino.
Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2011
