Pampanga soon to be Christmas Capital of the PH
THE House of Representatives on Monday approved on third and final reading a bill declaring Pampanga as the Christmas Capital of the country.
A total of 250 lawmakers unanimously approved House Bill 6933 principally authored by Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga 3rd District Rep. Aurelio “Dong” D. Gonzales Jr. .
The province of Pampanga is where lantern making is a craft.
HB 6933 seeks to declare Pampanga as the “Christmas Capital of the Philippines in recognition of its grand and famous Christmas traditions and the excellent craftsmanship of its lantern-making artisans who have significantly contributed to the robustness of the local economy and the promotion of the province as a cultural tourism destination.”
The proposed law directs the Department of Tourism “to include and feature the province as the country’s Christmas Capital in its national and regional promotion programs.”
Gonzales thanked Speaker Martin G. Romualdez and his colleagues for the bill’s approval.
He expressed hope that the senators would similarly pass his bill once it is sent to them.
“This proposed law will further promote our province as a cultural and Christmas tourism destination. It will boost our local economy, which will mean more income and job opportunities for our Kabalens and residents of neighboring areas,” Gonzales said.
He pointed out that as early as this month, craftsmen in the province have already started making and selling Christmas lanterns and related products.
“I thank the Speaker and our colleagues for this. I am sure the Speaker shares our aspirations for our province because he is one of us. He is a Kabalen, a son of Pampanga,” he said.
Romualdez’s mother, Juliet Gomez Romualdez, traces her roots from the city of Mabalacat.
Speaker Romualdez said that the Christmas season in the Philippines is made extra special every year by the Kapampangans who take pride in their famous and vibrant tradition of lantern-making.
Section 2 of the proposed law tasks the Department of Tourism to include and feature the province as the Christmas Capital in its national and regional promotion programs.
