Around 1,000 Christmas lanterns (parol) will illuminate Iloilo City’s major thoroughfare this Christmas season.

Now on its fifth year, the Ilonggo Rising Parol project is a partnership between the Iloilo City government and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Iloilo chapter.

The simultaneous lighting of lanterns will be on Dec. 1.

“We expect to beautify the city this Christmas season and, at the same time, help the PDL (persons deprived of liberty),” PCCI chair Felix Tiu, in-charge of the “parol” committee, said in an interview Monday.

In other cities, Tiu it is the local government that spends for the entire project.

Here, the city government provides the bulbs and budget for the installation, he said.

“Our role is to solicit the parol, to design and to manage the overall project. This is for the benefit of the persons deprived of liberty of the BJMP (Bureau of Jail Management and Penology),” he said.

“We are encouraging all the businessmen in Iloilo to help us, to sponsor a parol for this project, which costs PHP2,500 each. By sponsoring a parol, you will help the PDL of BJMP,” he added.

Of the target 1,000 lanterns, the city expects to generate PHP2.5 million, where PHP1 million goes to the PDL for labor and materials.

For every lantern they complete, a PDL is paid PHP300. Currently, some 40 PDL are working on the project. (PNA)