A giant Christmas tree at the Quezon Park here is featuring hundreds of star lanterns made by Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) at the Dumaguete City Detention & Rehabilitation Center.
The Christmas trees were lit up in a ceremony last Friday at the Quezon Park, which was followed by a Christmas choir competition.
There are about 650 lanterns on display at the Christmas tree, and will also be hung in other parts of the park.
Organizers of the annual The Pasko sa Dumaguete celebration have tied up with the Bureau of Jail Management & Penology in encouraging the inmates to make the Christmas decors as part of the parol (lantern) project that will provide extra income for the PDLs, said City Tourism Officer Jacqueline Veloso-Antonio.
Artists Jude Millares and Beshiel Mayordomo supervised the production of the lanterns by the jail inmates.
The City Tourism Office is also partnering with Subida Souvenirs for a Christmas wish-granting project, Pangandoy sa Pasko, to provide holiday cheer for the children of the PDLs.
Some 200 children aged 12 and below have been listed for the project, with their Christmas wishes that include t-shirts, food, and toys, Antonio said.
The City is appealing to generous people to make the wish of a child come true this Christmas, by participating in the project, she added. (Judy F. Partlow/PNA)
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