There are two competitions for the general public and students to participate. The Grand Competition will award $250 for First Place, $150 for Second Place and $100 for the Third Place Winner. Participants in the Grand Competition will be required to submit a registration fee of $10 by December 1.

The School Competition is open to all students from Elementary, Middle and High Schools. No registration fee is required. The top winner in each category will receive $50.00.

RULES & REQUIREMENTS:
 Submit Registration Form by December 1 and applicable fees.
 Parol must be decorated by applicant listed on Parol Competition Registration Form.
 Parol must be a three – dimensional lantern.
 Parol dimensions are a minimum 12 inches height/12 inches wide/ 2 inches deep.
 Parol must be a five points star at a minimum: one pointing upward, two outward, two downward.
 Parol must have two traditional tails on the two bottom points.
 Parol material to be used maybe of crepe paper, cellophane wrap, tinsel, metal, shell or fabric.
 Parol frame to be made of bamboo or other suitable material.
 Lights are optional but recommended.
 Applicants must participate in Parade of Parols or have another designated person to participate in the parade with created parol on December 3, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
 Winners will be announced on December 4, 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM.

CRITERIA FOR ADJUDICATION
Design 10 pts
Craftsmanship 10 pts

With December less than two months away, it is one the most exciting times in the Philippines, a predominantly Catholic nation, whose celebration of Christmas brings many Filipino diaspora wonderful memories of “home.” Included in that is the parol, a five-point star-lantern symbolic of the Star of Bethlehem, which lead the Three Kings to the infant Jesus, Mary and Joseph. It is a Filipino symbol of their strong faith as Christians and fond memories of the family making a parol each Christmas.

PASACAT Executive Director, Anamaria Labao Cabato shared, “Growing up, I remember my mom re-papering the parol every Christmas, with the trimming on the outline of the star and the beautiful tassels.” Cabato continued, “Mom said that they used to place candles in the parols, but often times caused fires.” Filipino’s now use the intricately capiz shell parols which provides a kaleidoscope of lights in different patterns and styles.

PASACAT hopes to inspire and encourage families to rekindle the tradition with Parol Making Workshops and a Parol Competition to be held at the 14th Annual Philippine Lantern Festival on December 3, 100 PM to 500 PM at the Joe and Vi Jacobs Center’s Celebration Hall. The winners will be announced at the end of the Parol Festival.

Free workshops are also be conducted by the House of the Philippines on Saturday, November 19, 10 am – 1 pm at the Hall of Nations, Balboa Park and on Wednesday, November 30, 4 pm – 6 pm at Skyline Hills Library, 480 South Meadowbrook Drive, San Diego.

Tickets to the Parol Festival are $12.00 for General Admission and $8.00 for students and seniors.

PASACAT is a non-profit cultural arts organization founded in 1970. The Parol Philippine Lantern Festival is funded in part by the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, San Diego County Community Enhancement Fund and the City of San Diego’s Commission for Arts and Culture.

For more information, contact PASACAT, 102 East 16th Street, National City, CA 91950, 619-477-3383, E-mail: admin@pasacat.org, website at www.pasacat.org or Facebook PASACAT Philippine Performing Arts Company.

Philippine Latern Festival

PASACAT, celebrating its 40th Season, began their Christmas tradition with Paskohan concerts of Philippine Christmas dances and music in 1982 and 1992.  The first Parol Philippine Lantern Festival was held in 1997 at Bethune Elementary School.  Since 1999, it was held consecutively at St. Rita’s School Auditorium.  This December 4, 2010, the 13th Annual Parol Festival will make it’s way to the spacious Celebration Hall , at the Joe and Vi Jacobs Center, 404 Euclid Avenue, San Diego (map).  The Philippines is predominantly Catholic and the festival centers around their strong faith as Christians with the Parol, a star-lantern symbolic of the Star of Bethlehem, which lead the Wise Men to the infant Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

The Parol is among the exhibits to be displayed, and community parol making workshops are given, which lead up to the Parol Festival.   It is an inter-generational event where young and old can enjoy on-going entertainment of traditional dances, songs and music of the season,  performed by PASACAT dancers and musicians known for their strong artistry and presentation of traditional Philippine dance and song, in brilliant costuming.  PASACAT will provide a cultural exhibit of its 40 year collection of costumes, props and instruments.  Guests will have a light meal, called merienda, which consists of lumpia, pancit and pandesal. Vendors will also be able to sell goods. The conclusion of the event is the pabitin, where toys are hung from a bamboo rack, and children, ages 4 – 15, jump to grab the toys.

This year, PASACAT invites the community to enter the Parol Competition in three categories.  The Student Competition awards the favorite elementary school student and high school student via voting ballots at the Parol Festival from 130 PM – 400 PM.  The students receive the highest amount of votes will be awarded $50 each with no registration fee required.

The Grand Prize competition requires a $10 registration fee.  Parols will be judged on design and craftsmanship.  The cash prize of  $200, $150 and $100 will be given to the top three and will be adjudicated at the Parol Festival from 12 PM to 2 PM.  The winners will be announced at the conclusion of the Festival.

Advance ticket sales are $10 through November 30.  On December 1, tickets are $12 with $2.00 discounts available for seniors, students, Children 4-12 and active military with ID.  We will also have limited Preferred Seating in the first two rows at $20.00 per person.  Tickets may be purchased at the door.

For more information: Call (619) 477-3383 or email admin@pasacat.org

We hope that you and your family will join the PASACAT family, as we celebrate this wonderful cultural expression of the Christmas season!

• Saturday, October 9, 2010
  2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
  California Center for the Arts
  340 North Escondido Blvd, Escondido (map)
  —Purchase tickets for this venue
• Saturday, October 16, 2010
  2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
  Lyceum Theatre
  Horton Plaza, San Diego (map)
  —Purchase tickets for this venue

Reserved seating tickets range from $20 – $25. Call (619) 477-3383 or email admin@pasacat.org to RSVP. Seats are limited. Discounts are available for seniors, active military, students, and groups of 15 or more.

The PASACAT Extravaganza is funded in part by the Horton Plaza Theatres Foundation and the County of San Diego Community Enhancement Fund, Supervisor Greg Cox and Ron Roberts.

Maglalatik

The 23rd Annual Junior PASACAT Concert will be held on May 8, 2:00 PM at the Educational Cultural Complex (ECC), 4343 Ocean View Boulevard (map). The ninety minute concert of traditionally based Philippine dance will showcase young dancers between the ages of four to nineteen and several new musicians who began rehearsals in January.

PASACAT’s Junior Program began in 1988 when Joji Ramirez Castro, former member of the Bayanihan Philippine National Dance Company from 1972-1985, became the PASACAT Junior Dance Director. Traditional Philippine dance and songs are taught to the children as a way of imparting the rich culture of the 7,100 island Republic. PASACAT held its first Junior Concert in 1984 at the ECC, in 1989 at St. Rita’s Church Auditorium and since 1990 at the ECC.

Pasigin

The concert will feature dances from the Spanish-European influences, Mindanao and the Countryside. Dances include the bird dance Kadal Blila from the mountain regions of Mindanao, Paso Doble reflecting the Spanish-European influences, the popular Singkil originally a Maranao fan dance which has evolved into one of the most colorful and memorable of Philippine dances.

“I love how I have a second family to come to at PASACAT” said Kelsey Sinsay, a dancer for the past 12 years. “It’s also one of the first places where I learned about Filipino culture.”

Katzudoratan

Family is a common theme among the young dancers. Fifteen-year old Alex Abutin, who has been dancing with PASACAT for six years, shared, “I like how when you come more often, you form this bond with every one in PASACAT and become a close family.”

A second family and great food may be what keeps a lot of dancers coming back to PASACAT. However, some things are more simply put. “I like playing drums and dancing,” claims a six year old Miles Batuyong. Although a three-year “veteran” in the group, Batuyong is still one of the youngest dancers in PASACAT.

Dugso

Tickets may be purchased on the day of the performance at the Educational Cultural Complex, 4343 Ocean View Boulevard, San Diego. Tickets are $15.00 with discounts available for children senior citizens, students and active military with ID.

For more information contact PASACAT, 102 East 16th Street, National City, California, 619-477-3383, or their website at www.pasacat.org.

PASACAT is funded in part by a program managed by the Community Development Block Grant of the City of National City and the County of San Diego Community Enhancement Fund.

#### END ####

• Official event website

PASACAT held two dance workshop sessions at the conference. Led by Ana Cabato and Matt Padrigan, the students attending the workshops learned several basic dance steps and were able to perform a full dance by the end of the 55 minute session. Although there was a lot of exhausted expressions at the end, the students appeared to really enjoy learning the dances. Hopefully, this little taste of Philippine dance will encourage these young men and women to continue to explore the arts.

Halloween 2009 at the PASACAT building (Photo: Ed Sinsay)

The night came alive Wednesday, October 28, at the PASACAT building in National City as the organization celebrated their annual Halloween party with food, friends and fun. Families contributed to the feast with pansit, spaghetti, turon, arroz caldo, pizza, and more!

(Flickr Slideshow)

Banaue Rice Terraces in the Philippines region of Ifugao (Photo: Public Library of Science)

In the northern region of the Philippines known as Ifugao, entire mountain-sides have been carved into breathtaking terraces for rice harvesting by native farmers. The practice, which has existed for more than an a thousand years, was the result of highly-skilled, yet lightly-equipped indigenous commoners. The vast landscaping in the region has earned the Banaue rice terraces the local title of “eighth wonder of the world” among Filipinos. Also known as the “stairways to the sky,” the rice terraces cover a total surface area over 13,000 miles long!

Because the natural beauty of these ancient developments are continuously threatened by erosion and disappearing native culture, the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Centre has been named a “world heritage site.” This has raised awareness of the rice terraces and brought about some protections sought for historical preservation.

Additional resources:

• Banaue Rice Terraces (Wikipedia)
• Reference from “Diversifying Selection in Plant Breeding” (Public Library of Science)

The festival opens with merienda, a festive meal of pancit (noodles with vegetables and meat), lumpia (eggroll), pandesal (sweet bread) and turon (sweet banana fritter). PASACAT’s 38-year collection of textiles, costumes, instruments, and books will be exhibited, including a bahay kubo (native thatched hut) and two life-size carabao (water buffalo) made of paper mache constructed by Rudy A. Alquero.

The ambiance of a Philippine Christmas will be enhanced by PASACAT’s collection of colorful capiz parols, and traditional star parols in various styles and colors. Parol workshops and parol kits will be available during the afternoon event.

PASACAT’s Junior and Company dancers will be accompanied by the Rondalla string ensemble in a presentation of dances of the Philippine Countryside which include the popular Pandango Sa Ilaw-Oasioas, dance of the lights and the audience favorite, Tinikling, bamboo dance. Sayaw sa Parol will colorful illuminated lanterns made in Pampanga, the capital of Parol making in the Philippines and designed especially for the dance. A number of other parols will be displayed and created by San Diego artist Jose Morales, Jr.

St. Rita’s Folk Choir will sing Tagalog Christmas songs -, Payapang Daigdig, Noche Buena, and Ang Pasko Ay Sumapit. The highlight of the choral presentation is the exhilarating choral arrangement, Simbang Gabi, by Lucio San Pedro, 1991 Philippine National Artist. The lyrics describe the Philippine Christmas: mano po (where the hands of the elders are held by the younger ones and placed on the latter’s forehead); gifts from ninong (godfather) and ninangs (godmother), the noche buena (meal after midnight mass), the birth of Jesus and the Feast of the Three Kings.

In addition to PASACAT, the inter-generational event will feature performances Girinata performing Balinise Kebyar dances; by Halau ‘O Pualani in an ancient and modern hula; the energetic Pride Rice, an up-and-coming hip-hop group; School of the Creative and Performing Arts School Choral Ensemble in an array of choral arrangments; SIYARI performing lively dances from the House of Peru in Balboa Park, St. Rita’s Samoan Catholic Youth Group in an exciting demonstration of praise songs and dances from Samoa. High school Philippine dance groups will also, perform from Montgomery, Morse and Otay Ranch High Schools from the South Bay.

The Festival concludes with the pabitin, where children 5 through 12 will jump for toys and candies hung from a bamboo rack which is raised and lowered in similar fashion to Mexico’s piñata.

Tickets are $15.00 for reserved and sponsor seats, $12.00 general admission, $10.00 for students, seniors, and active-duty military, and may be purchased at the door.

PASACAT was founded in 1970 and is funded in part by the San Diego County Community Enhancement Fund.