MANILA, Philippines – While showcasing vibrant lanterns and floats, the 95th Lantern Parade of the University of the Philippines-Diliman bannered bold statements on social issues like drug war killings and fake news. 

Up to 2,000 people witnessed this parade of more than 50 floats and lanterns on Friday, December 15, at UP Diliman.

In the awarding, the College of Engineering remained undefeated and won first place.

The College of Arts and Letters placed second with their marionettes, while the College of Mass Communication got third place with their “fake news buster” carousel.

In a statement, the UP Information Office said this year’s theme is “UP Diliman: Paaralan, Palaruan.”

The theme is inspired by Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play Element in Culture, a 1938 book by Dutch historian and philosopher Johan Huizinga, who used the term homo ludens to describe the nature of man and society to create “play,” which in turn forms their culture.

The participants from executive offices, colleges, and contingents from the various UP campuses performed in UP Ampitheater.

The winning lantern carried the title “Inhinyero ng Diliman, Isipa’y Maglaro, Maglingkod sa ating Bayan!” (Engineers of Diliman, let your mind wander, serve the people). The lantern aimed to make a statement on gender equality, free education, labor rights, and agrarian reform.

“Ang paaralan ang nagsisilbing palaruan ng mga malikhaing isip ng mga mag-aaral mula sa iba’t ibang pamayanan. Dito sila naglalaro, habang iniikot ang napakalawak na mundo, upang bigyan pa nang mas malawak na perspektiba ang ating kaisipan sa usaping-panlipunan,” the College of Engineering said in a statement. 

(The university served as a playground for the creative minds of students from various walks of life. Here, they play as they wander and discover the rest of the world with the aim of gaining a better perspective about various issues that affect the society.)

They were judged based on the adherence to the theme, creativity, and overall visual impact. 

Here are some photos from the event:

– Rappler.com