Manila to recycle 2022 Christmas décor

MANILA, Philippines — The city government of Manila will recycle last year’s Christmas decorations to save money, officials said yesterday.

Field personnel have started installing huge white parol or Christmas lanterns in the city hall and on streetlights in parts of Manila.

The city government’s parol was reportedly inspired by the nilad flower, from which Manila’s name was derived, according to tradition.

Personnel from the city government’s general services office could “beautify” the recycled Christmas decorations, according to its head Thelma Perez.

Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan said the measure would help save the city government money for more important projects, she said.

Lacuna-Pangan also announced the city government is currently preparing the Christmas boxes that would be given to each of the city’s families.

“We have started to arrange our Christmas gifts so on Dec. 1 we can give them personally,” she said during a Facebook Live video on Friday.

In 2022, an estimated 695,000 families residing in the city received food packs from the city government. Each pack contained rice, corned beef, spaghetti noodles and sauce, cheese, fruit cocktail mix and milk.

At the same time, 160,000 elderly residents received their own Christmas boxes containing cookies and coffee.

Along with the Christmas boxes, the city government would also distribute cash allowances for senior citizens, solo parents and disabled persons, as well as Christmas bonuses for city government employees, she also said.