DEPUTY Speaker and Pampanga 3rd District Representative Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr. has filed House Bill (HB) 5905, which seeks to declare Pampanga as the “Christmas Capital of the Philippines.”

In his explanatory note, Gonzales said the country is known for having one of the “longest” Christmas celebrations in the world.

“As soon as September comes, Christmas lights start to glitter and shine. Parols or lanterns are seen in homes, on streetlights, and in the malls for everyone’s merriment,” Gonzales said.

“The City of San Fernando in Pampanga is no stranger to this merry occasion. In fact, the city is the place where excellent craftsmen of these parols can be found,” Gonzales said.

The Pampanga lawmaker added that city residents pride themselves as makers of beautiful giant lanterns, showcasing their craftsmanship and creations during their annual “Ligligan Parul” or the Giant Lantern Festival.

He pointed out that since the 1990s, San Fernando has claimed the title “Home of the Giant Lanterns.”

“This is due in part to the establishment of the Paskuhan (Christmas) Village, which was inaugurated on December 11, 1990. The first of its kind in Asia, the village is shaped like a giant lantern sprawling on 9.3 hectares of land in the city. It provides visitors the real Philippine Christmas experience year-round,” Gonzales stressed.

He said Paskuhan Village also serves as a venue for the display and sale of locally manufactured, export-quality products and services.

It also features shops, a Christmas museum, food courts, conference facilities and entertainment venues, he said.

International cable television network CNN once recognized San Fernando as “Asia’s Christmas Capital,” he said.

He added that such international recognition further boosted Pampanga’s thriving Christmas traditions and provided additional livelihood to his fellow Cabalen.

Under HB 5905, the province would be declared as the country’s Christmas capital “in recognition of the economic and cultural significance of the lantern-making industry, which has existed for several declares and has been a significant contributor to the economy of the province.”

The Department of Tourism (DOT) would be mandated to issue implementing rules within 60 days from the enactment of the proposed law.

The bill has been referred to the Committee on Tourism chaired by Romblon Rep. Eleandro Jesus Madrona.