The SUN HK : One Visayas takes grand prize in PaSTARAN 2023

07 January 2024

One Visayas' entry featured a 'belen' made up of bottle caps, cut-up cartons and pistachio shells

One Visayas Hong Kong has won the grand prize in the annual PaSTARAN Christmas lantern-making contest organized by the Philippine Consulate. As before, all the entries came from registered Filipino community organizations, and should have been made entirely of recycled materials.

As grand winner, the group received $5,000 cash and a trophy from LBC, the main sponsor of the yearly contest.

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Like most other entries, the basic frame of the lantern was made of bamboo painstakingly sourced from a few scant wooded parts of Hong Kong. The other materials used were the core of bathroom tissue rolls, bottle caps, plastic bottles cut into strips, cardboard strips and pistachio nut shells.

Diwa't Kabayan used laundry hangers to frame its lantern

The first runner-up, Diwa’t Kabayan Benlife Society Club, was awarded $3,000 and a trophy. Its entry had a unique frame made from old laundry hangers and covered with painted cardboard boxes as well as egg shells.

Its lyrical video presentation of the process of making their lantern and how it symbolized friendship and cooperation among the members should have also scored well with the judges made up of Vice Consul Allan G. Revote, Welfare Officer Marilou V. Sumalinog, and LBC Country Manager Arnold Cereno.

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Adjudged second runner-up was the entry from United Migrants Entrepreneurship and Livelihood Association, which came with a $2,000 cash prize and a trophy. Its winning lantern was made up of a number of materials, including bamboo, paper and eco bags, dried grass, rags and old chopsticks.

Umela used the most number of recyclable materials to make this lantern

The People’s Choice award, which went to Panay Overseas Workers Association for having garnered the most number of votes on Facebook, came with $1,000 cash and a trophy.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

A total of nine Filcom groups took part in the competition which was launched months ahead to give ample time to the contestants to conceptualize their entries and finish them by December 24, when they were put up on display before the final judging.

POWA's entry was an early favorite among netizens

A short program held before the awarding ceremonies on Chater Road featured dance numbers from the Migrant Ilonggo Cultural Dance Troupe, Star Pinoy HK, Tinikling Group of Migrants and FLAG HK Dancers as well as song numbers by Ruby Bofill, TNT Girls of Holy Family Parish, Mylene Cristobal, and the Alconga Family.