PH sets new Guinness record for largest water lantern display in Pampanga

MAGICAL A guest gets a closer look and gently handles one of the floating water lanterns at the Lumina Water Lantern and Music Festival in Mexico, Pampanga, where 11,016 lanterns illuminated a 12-hectare lake to set a new Guinness World Record on Sunday. —RIC GONZALES/CONTRIBUTOR

MEXICO, PAMPANGA—The Philippines has earned a new Guinness World Records (GWR) title for the largest display of water lanterns floated on a 12-hectare human-made lake here on Sunday.

Ticket-buyers at the Lumina Water Lantern and Music Festival lit up 11,016 lanterns, surpassing the 10,000-target, according to Emi Saito, who was sent by GWR to adjudicate the event organized by Vibe Events Management Corp. and The Lakeshore.

Centerpiece

“After a careful review of the evidence, I am very pleased to announce the result. The largest display of water lanterns consists of 11,016,” Saito told the crowd near midnight.

The paper lanterns were mounted on light wooden floaters and illuminated by small LEDs for more than five minutes.

Local officials said the new title adds to Pampanga’s long-standing lantern-making tradition, known for handcrafted home lanterns and its giant lantern festival, which will mark its 118th year in December.

The lake serves as the centerpiece of The Lakeshore, a 300-hectare residential and recreational community developed 26 years ago.

According to James Madrid, president of Vibe, the event included cleanup, disposal and recycling measures, along with other eco-friendly initiatives.