3 hurt in UP Lantern Parade fireworks mishap – report

 

The injured included an elderly woman who fell and hurt her shoulder, according to a report on radio dzBB Saturday.

 

The report did not name the three injured.

 

It said an initial investigation showed one of the fireworks went awry during the fireworks show. 

 

Police are investigating the incident and may file charges against the fireworks operator, if found culpable.

 

The Lantern Parade is a tradition that traces its roots to 1922 when lanterns were first paraded by University of the Philippines students, faculty, employees, and campus residents in the UP's Padre Faura, Manila campus.

 

An article on the UP Newsletter said the practice is believed to have come from a Filipino custom during Spanish times when people going to church to attend the traditional Misa de Gallo carried specially designed lanterns to light their way.

 

In 1934, then UP President Jorge Bocobo institutionalized the practice to mark the last day of classes before the Christmas vacation.

 

The parade eventually became a venue for student protests, the Newsletter article said. — LBG, GMA News