Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta: The Highs And The Lows

The Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is an annual event that is always held in Clarkfield, Pampanga. This is actually my third time to attend what is touted as a 'weekend of everything that flies' and even if I've been to this event a couple of times, the excitement is still there. The festival features several air-sporting events like aircraft maneuvers and precision flying, ultra lights, skydiving, aircraft rally, racketeering, flag jump, balloon bursting, kite flying, paragliding and of course the main attraction which is the hot air balloon competition which happens early morning for the fly-out and late afternoon for the fly-in.

2010 was my first time to see these gigantic hot air balloons and I must say that it was such a memorable experience. I was with my friends Jhoi and Keren also like me were very eager to see these giant balloons for the first time. I even remembered Keren telling us that he was so happy he couldn't help but to let one tear escape.

In 2011, we decided to try out the night glow for a change instead of the early hot air balloon flight that usually happens early in the morning. I still didn't know how to adjust my camera settings during that time so most of my photos ended up being blurred or dark.

This year we decided to try out the night glow again but unfortunately the weather wasn't very cooperative and we were lucky enough to see just one balloon helplessly try to stand up to please the audience. One of my travel buddies heard that the organizers were actually planning to cancel off the night glow program because of the rain and the strong winds.

It was already past 6pm and there was only one hot air balloon in sight. Good thing I followed Pinky's advice to take a picture of it or else I would have no pictures of any balloons at all! So there, we ended up seeing just a bunch of flares, a single hot air balloon courtesy of SM and 3 giant lanterns for the night. The latter wasn't included in the original program so I was surprised to see a familiar sight especially that the 2011 Giant Lantern Festival concluded barely 2 months ago.

At first I was really disappointed when they organizers failed to light up their balloons but hey, the weather was beyond their control so there's nothing much that they could do. I guess we were fortunate enough to see one balloon light up and stand against the strong winds.

It may have been an unfortunate event for us this year but that wouldn't stop me from going to the hot air balloon fiesta next year. Hopefully I'll be able to see the night glow again in its full glory or maybe, just maybe, I'll have the courage to overcome my fear of heights and have the experience of finally riding one someday!

Giant Lantern Festival 2011: Dazzling Lights On A Drizzly Evening

Typhoon Sendong wasn't able to spoil the Giant Lantern Festival as it marks its 103rd year. Just like last year, the event was held at Robinsons Starmills Pampanga but now they have 10 participating barangays: Telabastagan, Calulut, San Juan, Dolores, San Pedro, Sta. Lucia, Del Carmen, Del Pilar, San Jose and Sto. Niño. This marks the return of Barangay Del Carmen after 57 years and Barangay Calulut's very first entry in the competition.

As always, it was jam-packed with people although I noticed that it was lesser than the previous years. However, I couldn't help but notice some flaws in the said event. First, there are now seat assignments but we couldn't find our designated seats. If I remember it right, the last number that I could find on the seating arrangement is around 2100 and the number on my ticket is 2242 so we asked for assistance from one the ushers but they just advised us to find any empty seat in the area. It's just confusing why they had to put numbers on the chairs when anyone can just sit on it. Another miniscule flaw that I've noticed is the way they placed the chairs that were numbered from 2000 onwards. They were placed behind a huge scaffolding where the technical and media staff are covering the festival. They should have just placed it at the back so that everyone could see the lanterns. But putting those flaws aside, the event was still fun and dazzling thanks to the 10 giant lanterns that illuminated the evening.

There were 3 rounds in the competition. During the first round, each barangay is given 7 minutes to showcase their lanterns along with a background music. On the second round 3 lanterns are lit as they try to synchronize their lights on the background music while on the third round, all of the lanterns where lit at the same time. I've noticed that they've veered away from using Maria Carey's Christmas songs which I think is a good move since they've been using it for the past few years. There were a number of notable performances in the competition. Barangay Telebastagan made a strong start as they were the first to showcase their lantern while Barangay San Juan Nepomuceno also got some cheers and praises for featuring a belen with a moving spiral claw at the center but the upper left part of the lantern seems to be noticeably dimmed. The crowd went gaga when defending champion Barangay Sta. Lucia finally showcased their masterpiece and I must say that they really owned the night as they were effectively the headliner in this festival. Ironically, Barangay Sto. Nino's lantern experienced some technical problems and had to beg off at the last round but they still got a number of cheers for putting up a good fight. And just as the majority of the crowd have predicted, Barangay Sta. Lucia won the top prize while San Jose and Del Carmen followed second and third respectively. The night ended with a spectacular fireworks display that lasted for around 15 minutes.

Although this was my third time to attend the Giant Lantern Festival, I was just as excited as if it were my first. And even if it was drizzling, the rain wasn't able to spoil the evening as these myriad of colorful bulbs lighting to the beat of Christmassy music dazzled the night skies of San Fernando, Pampanga.

2010 Giant Lantern Festival: Ginormous!

It has always been a childhood dream for me to see these ginormous lanterns and even if it's my second time to attend Pampanga's most celebrated festival, the excitement never gets old. The event was held at Robinsons Starmills Pampanga with nine barangays participating namely Barangay Dolores, Del Pilar, San Jose, San Juan, San Nicolas, Santa Lucia, Santo Nino, San Pedro and Telabastagan. Last year Barangay Dolores was able to bag the top spot and I must say they really deserve the prize.

"kumukutikutitap"

This event has made San Fernando the Christmas Capital of the Philippines. 2010 marks the 102nd year of this world-famous festival and it's good to see that the event is much more organized compared to what I have witnessed a year ago. Now there is a VIP area where you can witness these lanterns in its full glory. We paid Php300 for the entrance. The fee includes a souvenir shirt, a bottle of water and a baller which serves as your ticket. Monoblock chairs are also provided so there's no need to worry on getting a comfortable space while watching the dazzling lights.

2nd round of the competition

There were some improvements to the lanterns. Its size was increased from 18 feet to 20 feet in diameter and new materials such as fiberglass and handmade paper were also used. The lanterns are now more synchronized with the music although I've noticed that most of them used the same ones last year especially those tracks from Mariah Carey's Christmas album. We weren't able to wait for the announcement of the winners but I've read that it was Barangay Sta. Lucia that won the top prize.

Barangay Dolores

My vote still goes for Barangay Dolores which veers away from the traditional Christmas songs that were used by most of its competitors. Nevertheless, the event was still a feast for the eyes. Congratulations to all the winners and I hope it will be a more dazzling event next year!