Filipino Community Organizations Unite To Celebrate Christmas Through Parol Making

Filipino Community members design and create their Filipino Christmas parols

WASHINGTON D.C. – The Philippine Embassy in Washington DC in partnership with Helping Hands 18:35 organized a parol making competition entitled ‘Paskong Pinoy Gifted to Give: A Community Celebration’ held at the Quezon Hall, Chancery Annex on 10 December 2022.

Three winning parols - a Christmas star ornament - were chosen by the various community leaders. In addition to the parol making competition, talented singers and dancers also competed in a Christmas carol singing competition and TikTok Dance competition.

In his opening remarks, Deputy Chief of Mission Jaime Ramon Ascalon, Jr said, “We are delighted that today, we get to once again spread the bayanihan spirit and highlight the values of fellowship and unity - pakikisama at pagkakaisa - as the core theme in today’s event. These values have united Filipino communities all over the globe even though they are from different backgrounds and guided by different missions in life, as one Filipino nation.”

The event was co-organized by Helping Hands 18:35 President Tomas Pring to bring together both new and old members as well as family members of Filipino Community organizations to better understand the spirit, traditions, and food of a Filipino Christmas celebration.

Organizations such as Filipino American Veterans Care (FAVC), Rotary Club of Falls Church Virginia, Global Migrant Heritage Foundation Inc., Ilocano Society of America & Miss Teen Philippines- America, The Filipino-American Basketball Association (FABA) of Metropolitan DC, Inc., and Magge & Friends Productions were represented

Deputy Chief of Mission Jaime Ramon Ascalon Jr. of the Philippine Embassy delivers his opening remarks

Filipino community leaders and Embassy personnel judge Christmas parol entries for the parol making competition (Photo ℅ Usal Fil)


Some of the Filipino Community members pose with their Christmas parols