Ilocano born Fil-Am wins FAS Pasko Sa Parol contest
By Susan Palmes-Dennis ROCKINGHAM, North Carolina—Contestant No. 3 Justine Agustin won the grand prize in the Pasko Parol (Christmas Lantern) contest by the Filipino American Spirit (FAS) over the weekend. Agustin’s parol topped 18 other entries to win the top US $1000 prize. Agustin, who works as a teacher in South Carolina spent weeks to complete the lantern. Most of the materials Justine used are organic or recycled and sourced from home. The corn husks, an important local crop in the Carolinas were dyed and incorporated into the design. The colored plastic cups were repurposed in the spirit of sustainability. For the lighting, Justine used four different types of battery-operated lights, along with Filipino Christmas music to complete the presentation. ‘I dyed the horn husk. Pero yung body ng parol, siguro five days, from the skeleton to covering and lightings,’ Justine said. It’s a labor of love for Justine who would sleep at 3 am after hours of working on his lantern. Crafts...