Parkmall recently reached its decade milestone on October and is celebrating its 10th Christmas with the Cebuano community by starting a new tradition of holding the Parol Festival.
Parkmall is proud of its Cebuano identity and is committed to support and highlight the Cebuano artistry, craftsmanship and creativity by engaging the Cebuano community through collaborative projects such as the Parol Festival. This campaign is envisioned to become an annual celebration that Cebu, particularly Mandaue, can take part and be proud of.
Parols or lanterns are a traditional symbol of the Filipino Christmas spirit, and are as important as the Christmas trees in the Western culture. Parkmall, as a Cebuano brand, has embraced this Filipino tradition of spreading the Christmas spirit through the Parol Festival. It is one of the mall’s visions for Cebuanos to be reminded of this Christmas tradition and to imbibe it despite the pressing societal issues that the country is facing at present.
Launched last November 24, the first Parkmall Parol Festival highlights star-shaped parols in white, adorned with gold details. These parols were proudly crafted by the persons deprived of liberty (PDL) from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Mandaue City.
The homegrown mall’s collaboration with the BJMP Mandaue City has sparked hope in the PDLs. They may not be spending their Christmas with their families, but they can still be part of the holiday celebrations at their homes through BJMP’s livelihood development project, which allows them to provide financial aid for their families. The project also aims to hone and develop their skills to prepare them for their future livelihood when they reunite with their families, as well as build their self-esteem and confidence.
The Parkmall Parol Festival launching featured the talents of the Rondalla performers from the Sisters of Mary School Boystown, Inc. And the U.P. Cebu Serenata group. Both serenaded the mall guests with Christmas favorites and classics.
