‘Light that focuses on Jesus’: Philippine parol inspires British designers for mall’s Christmas display

MANILA, Philippines — “We want Christmas to be meaningful, special, not only commercial.”

Such, according to Rustan Commercial Corporation President Donnie Tantoco, was among the messages that Filipino retail chain Rustan’s wanted to share with its grand Christmas display this year following the theme “Light Up This Christmas.”

“The message is about light. We hired a British group to help us represent light in a different way because we are just emerging from the (COVID-19) pandemic and we’re so happy when they were so inspired by the Philippine parol at its highest level of artistry,” Tantoco shared in an interview with Philstar.com during the Christmas theme’s recent launch.

According to him, the designers used “the most amazing parols” they could find as inspiration to communicate the Filipino department store chain’s Christmas message.

“For us, it’s very important to really elevate what is Filipino and not to only put it here but also try to project what is unique in our Christmas in the Philippines.”

Tantoco explained that they chose light as this year’s theme because “when you truly reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, you don’t also want to bring the joy of Christmas but also the enlightenment (brought) by Christmas.”

“Light is a very simple, easy-to-understand way to communicate that during Christmas. We like that light that focuses on Jesus,” he enthused.

He said that through the Christmas theme, their company tries to manifest light in and outside the store and “bring the message of light to the families and communities we serve.”

His favorite nooks from the Christmas spectacle are the Children’s area called “Twinkle Town,” as well as the Santas and pizza-making facilities.

“Light Up This Christmas,” according to the company, is “an initiative that focuses on renewal and celebration.” 

For over seven decades, the company has treasured Christmas as “a time of hope, light, love, and peace.”

This joy, said the company, is aimed to be shared not only with shoppers, but with everyone through the sparkle of lights, evergreen trees, festive tunes, solemn hymns, as well as the decorations like tinsels, bells, nutcrackers, and snowglobes, along with the