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Filipino brands Cambio & Co and Jillian Joy Handcrafted recently organized a two-day Christmas parol workshop as part of their pop-up event in Toronto.

Gelaine Santiago, one of the organizers, shared that the inspiration for it came from her family's holiday traditions.

“I grew up seeing the parol and it always fills me with a lot of nostalgia,” she said. For us, it was a way to invite our community to celebrate Pasko.”

Participants joined a workshop on making the Filipino Christmas lantern, led by Maria Patricia Abuel, manager of the Kapisanan Philippine Centre for Arts and Culture.

The Pasko & Parols holiday pop-up showcased items that are proudly designed and made to celebrate Filipino craftsmanship.

Cambio & Co. featured their handcrafted artisan jewelry, including unique parol earrings made from Capiz.

“Our mission is to create sustainable livelihood for our 'Kababayan' in the Philippines,” said Santiago. “We sell all over the world. Most of our customers are actually in the U.S., but also we have a really great community here in Toronto and across Canada. So we have customers in over 25 countries.”

The pop-up also became a platform for other Filipino brands from Toronto, Vancouver, and San Francisco in the U.S., to feature their products.

The creativity of the participants was on full display as they presented their finished parols, each with a unique personal touch.

Organizers vowed to create more opportunities that blend tradition and craftsmanship.

They added that they aim to bring joy to the community not only during the holidays but also throughout the year.