Lubenas lanterns of Pampanga have made their appearance abroad for the first time in Italy where they were showcased during the first Simbang Gabi for the year at the Basilica di Sto. Stefano Maggiore in Milan.
The Consulate General of the Philippines and the Filipino Community in Northern Italy express their gratitude to Mayor Maria Lourdes Paras Lacson and the Municipality and People of Magalang for their generous gesture that allowed us to share Filipino Christmas traditions back home with members of our diaspora in Europe.
The following is history of the Lubenas, an article from the Juan D. Nepomuceno Center of Kapampangan Studies, Holy Angel University in Angeles City:
“The history of lubenas began in Spanish colonial times, when Kapampangans used paper lanterns to illuminate religious processions. The lanterns had burning candles inside and were mounted on bamboo poles by devotees on two rows preceding the saint’s carroza, with one big lantern right behind it. The practice was done in several towns, including the capital town of Bacolor. Historian Mariano Henson wrote that when the town of Angeles was founded in 1829, the residents were already doing the lubenas, because the new town’s matrix was San Fernando whose matrix was Bacolor.
When the Americans came at the beginning of the 1900s, they moved the provincial capital from Bacolor to the next town, San Fernando. They wanted to take advantage of the Manila-Dagupan Railroad, which passed San Fernando but not Bacolor, and wanted to build San Fernando as a showcase of the new American regime the way Bacolor had been a showcase of the old Spanish regime. The transfer occurred in 1904. Everything that could be transferred, wrote Gov. Macario Arnedo, was transferred—capitol tables and furniture, court documents and government personnel, using carabao-driven carts volunteered by surrounding towns.
The early 1900s saw San Fernando swinging and galloping at full throttle, fueled by the money of the nouveau rich under the auspices of the Americans. Elegant mansions mushroomed all over town. Dance parties, balls and socials became the order of the day. Gov. Howard Taft even visited the town.
The practice of lubenas, which was among those transferred from Bacolor to San Fernando, benefited from the economic boom. San Fernando residents spruced up their lanterns, replacing paper with cloth and discarding candles in favor of carbide lamps (carburo). The big lantern of the lubenas, traditionally found right behind the carroza, became even bigger, measuring as wide as 10 feet even in those days. It eventually spun away from the lubenas and took a life of its own, becoming the forerunner of the now-famous giant lanterns.
In 1908, the lubenas became a ligligan (competition) of lanterns. In 1931, carbide lamps were replaced with electricity-powered lights.
Originally, only nine barrios of San Fernando participated; each night of the nine-day lubenas (December 16-24) was assigned to a barrio, which showcases its lanterns around the designated paglimbunan (procession route), i.e., starting from the Baluyut Bridge, turning right to Consunji Street, winding around McArthur Highway, turning to Tiomico Street and then to the other end of Consunji Street before terminating at the patio between the church and the municipal hall.
The original barrios that were assigned dates of lubenas around the parish church were, in chronological order: San Pedro Cutud (first because St. Peter held the keys to heaven), San Nicolas, Del Pilar, Sta. Lucia, San Jose, Dolores, San Agustin, Del Carmen and finally, Sto. Niño (last because the Holy Child was the ultimate symbol of Christmas). The judges viewed the lanterns from the balconies of the mansions along Consunji Street (owned by the Hizon, Ocampo, Rodriguez, Lazatin, Abad Santos and Singian families, among others).
The competition became a vehicle for barrio sugu (Kapampangan term for bayanihan), in which the wealthy residents of the barrio funded the construction of the lanterns (locally known as parul or tambul tambulan) while the poor residents volunteered their skills.
Because lanterns easily wore out and the giant ones could not be stored anywhere, the maitinis (final night of the lubenas during which all barrio entries converged in the church patio) became the occasion for paspasan tambul tambulan, in which holders of the lanterns-on-poles from one barrio smashed their lanterns against those of other barrios. The last lantern standing was declared winner. It was a rather violent ending for such dainty lanterns, which was probably why the smashing part was discontinued after a while.
Today, the tradition has not only survived but is in fact experiencing a resurgence, thanks to the new life injected by several parishes and municipalities, notably Magalang, Angeles and Mabalacat, as well as other towns like San Fernando, Sta. Ana, Sto. Tomas, Guagua, and Porac. The tradition also continued existing in several Tarlac towns such as Bamban, Capas and Concepcion.”
(Center for Kapampangan Studies with additional notes by Landlee A. Quiwa)
