What happened to the parol makers of Granada Street?

IN THE bustling street of Granada in Barangay Valencia, Quezon City (a short stretch connecting Ortigas Ave. and Gilmore St.), vibrant lights brighten the night. These are the lights of the parols, the traditional lanterns that have illuminated the area for generations. Through the years, the area has been known for the small parol stores lining the street during the long Christmas season, displaying an array of colorful handcrafted lanterns made of capiz shells.

However, the colorful parols along Granada could soon become a memory, much like a burnt-out bulb in one of the lanterns. From the bustling days when 10 to 20 vendors lined the street, only two remain today, a local parol vendor said.

Weng, the co-owner of the Sato Laxa store, one of the two remaining parol stores, said that the number of vendors started to dwindle in 2023, after the COVID lockdowns. She explained that their permits were no longer renewed by the barangay.

“Marami talaga dito simula ng lockdown from 2020 to 2022. At pagka-start ng 2023 wala na po sila dito dahil sila binigyan ng permiso [There were really many here from the lockdown starting in 2020 until 2022. But at the start of 2023, they were no longer here because they were not given permission anymore],” Weng — who did not want to give her last name — said in an interview.

Weng told BusinessWorld that she was saddened by the sudden disappearance of the vendors, as Granada has long been known for its iconic parols.

“Hindi naman kami katulad ng iba na sasabihin buti walang ng ganon (competitor). Mas gusto namin na meron kasi para malaman ng madlang people na may mga nagbebenta, dudumugin kami [We’re not like others who would say it’s good that there are no competitors. We actually prefer having competitors because if the general public would know that there are sellers, more people will come to us here],” Weng said.

With the disappearance of many parol vendors, Weng is concerned that their store may face the same fate if permits are not renewed and renovations force them out without a nearby relocation option.

“Wala pa kami sa ganon pero nalulungkot na kami. Next year 2025, na ire-renovate itong lugar na to… Sa makatuwid iilang taon na lang kaming meron dito [We’re not at that point yet, but we are already sad. In 2025, this place will be renovated… We may not have much more time here],” Weng said.

At the nearby Nenstar Lantern store, Yan Galicia, one of its parol makers, told BusinessWorld that permits were not renewed for vendors selling on the bridge that take up part of Gilmore, due to concerns about cleanliness. Vendors who were not operating on the bridge were allowed to stay, while those displaced either relocated to other areas or chose not to return to the business.

For the 37-year-old Nenstar Lantern store, the lack of competitors has turned out to be advantageous.

“Pabor sa amin ’yun kasi noong nandito pa sila, pababaan ng price, mahirap makabenta. So ngayon dalawa na lang kami. Wala ng choice ’yung ibang pupunta kundi bumili na lang dito [It’s favorable for us because when they were still here, it was hard to sell because of price competition. Now that it’s just the two of us, people have no choice but to just buy here],” Ms. Galicia said.

Nenstar Lantern store’s sales are recently stable, and the store is recovering from a slow start earlier in the “’ber” months, which was attributable to the consecutive typhoons that hit the country, according to Michael Galicia, another one of the store’s parol makers.

Just as parols cast a warm glow in the dark, Weng believes there is still a spark of hope for the lantern industry of Granada. She believes the parol industry could brighten if the government establishes a one-stop location, similar to the Tutuban Center in Manila’s Divisoria, where vendors can operate legally.

She continues to pray that they won’t be forced to leave, holding on to the hope of preserving the parol legacy started by her husband and his mother. — Edg Adrian A. Eva