Malacañang Christmas decor recycled

The trimmings and decorations may mostly be recycled, but the Christmas spirit is still very much alive at the Malacañang grounds.

Director Jun Mogado of the Office of the President said they have continued the practice of recycling Christmas lanterns and trimmings and other decorations after President Arroyo ordered, during her first Christmas in office, a halt on unnecessary spending to spruce up the Palace during the holidays.

"We were told to make use of what we have," Mogado said. "We will not buy new ones (decorations)."

Even the traditional "belens" (Nativity scenes) placed in the lobby Palace and one set up in front of Kalayaan Hall are now on their third year of "recycling." Mogado said they only have to make slight changes in the characters’ positions in the "belens" every year to "compensate" for their being reused.

Some of the decorations date back to the Ramos and Estrada administrations, he said.

The key to make the decorations look like new every year is proper and careful storage, Mogado said, adding that this way the trimmings and other items could be easily cleaned and polished. Proper storage would also prevent them from being damaged.  

Tarnished or faded colored Christmas balls would be polished or spray-painted to their original color while the busted bulbs in the holiday lights are replaced instead of buying entirely new strings, he said.

The four years of recycling however have already taken their toll on some of the Christmas decorations despite the careful storage and cleaning.  

The tassels of the "parols" (star-shaped Christmas lanterns) hanging in the Palace and the Premier Guest House fronting it looked somewhat frayed upon closer inspection while the gold edges of some of the fabric poinsettias were faded. Some of the trimmings hung limply along the walls.

Poinsettias dotted the Premier Guest House while Filipiniana appeared to be the theme in the Palace itself as most of the decorations were made from native materials.  

Mogado said while the placement of decorations and flowers looked professionally done, all were arranged by Palace staff to save on money as much as possible.  

It will be recalled that previous administrations hired private florists and interior decorators to spruce up the place for the Christmas season.  

He said all the flowers — bought in the "flower market" in Manila — were arranged by in-house florists. He said it was the President who instituted the use of in-house staff to undertake the decoration of the Palace.