Rally is researching the season
Christmas with kids in Puerto Princesa
Puerto Princesa's Christmas tree has grown almost every year, from 70 feet in 2021 to 153 feet in 2025. Each December 1 it is lit with carols and fireworks, and a month of nightly shows follows.
Christmas events for 2026 are coming in late November
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The story of Christmas in Puerto Princesa
A 70-foot tree that grew to 153 feet
Puerto Princesa starts its Christmas season on December 1 with a tree lighting. The tree at Balayong People's Park stood 70 feet in 2021, 110 feet in 2022 and 135 feet in 2023. Mayor Lucilo Bayron said it grows each year to match the city's economic and tourism growth, and that 150 feet was the most the foundation allows. In 2018 the community tree was 100 feet tall, wrapped with more than 100 parols, and stood at the Baywalk. In 2019 the lighting there was tied to the feast day of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.
Fireworks and a 153-foot tree in 2025
On December 1, 2025, the city lit a 153-foot tree at Balayong People's Park, and fireworks followed over the night sky. The City Tourism Office said the lighting marks the start of the Christmas season. The 2023 night had 18 choirs singing carols, the first public appearance of the Miss Puerto Princesa candidates and a pyromusical show. In 2022 the lighting happened on a Thursday evening and many residents came. SM City Puerto Princesa has had its own tree too, a 50-foot Eiffel Tower-style tree in 2019.
Pista Na, Pasko Pa and a star at the city jail
The city's own Christmas page describes a December program called Pista Na, Pasko Pa. The giant tree is lit on the first day of December, and nightly shows start on November 30. Government offices, schools, barangays, Indigenous Peoples groups, senior citizens and private groups take turns on stage each night. The Puerto Princesa City Jail has its own tradition: in December 2019 it lit a giant star lantern called Parol ng Pagbabago, about twenty times the size of an ordinary lantern. SM also ran a #DearSMSanta page where children could send a Christmas wish by e-letter in 2019.
Traditions today
- December 1 tree lighting: The giant tree at Balayong People's Park was lit on December 1, 2025, with fireworks.
- Choirs and carols: Eighteen choirs sang at the 2023 lighting, which ended with a pyromusical show.
- Pista Na, Pasko Pa: The city's December celebration has nightly shows by schools, barangays and community groups, starting November 30.
- Parol ng Pagbabago: The city jail lights a giant star lantern each December to start its own Christmas celebration.
- Mall Christmas tree: The mall opened its 2019 Christmas display with a 50-foot Eiffel Tower-style tree.
- Bears of Joy: Shoppers buy a pair of bears and one goes to a community of special kids, an SM Cares project since 2011.
A fact for kids
Puerto Princesa's Christmas tree grew from 70 feet in 2021 to 153 feet in 2025!
Questions about Christmas in Puerto Princesa
When does Puerto Princesa light its giant Christmas tree?
The city has lit its giant tree on December 1 in 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2025. A 2018 report describes a Saturday night lighting at the Baywalk. No 2026 date has been confirmed yet, so check Rally Takes the Train's Puerto Princesa Christmas events guide closer to December.
How tall is the Christmas tree at Balayong People's Park?
The tree was 153 feet in 2025. It was 70 feet in 2021, 110 feet in 2022 and 135 feet in 2023. Mayor Lucilo Bayron said in 2023 that 150 feet was the maximum the foundation allows, and he said the tree grows to match the city's growth.
Where is the giant Christmas tree lighting held in Puerto Princesa?
In 2022, 2023 and 2025 the lighting took place at Balayong People's Park. Earlier, in 2018 and 2019, the community tree stood at the Puerto Princesa Baywalk. No venue for 2026 has been announced, so it is worth checking again once the city announces its plans.
What happens at the Puerto Princesa tree lighting besides the lights?
Fireworks end the night. In 2023 there were 18 choirs singing carols and a pyromusical display, and the Miss Puerto Princesa candidates made their first public appearance. In 2018 the program had city choirs, a speech by the mayor and a fireworks display lasting several minutes.
What is Pista Na, Pasko Pa in Puerto Princesa?
It is the name of the city's December celebration, which honors the birth of Jesus Christ. The giant Christmas tree is lit on the first day of December, and nightly shows begin on November 30. Offices, schools, barangays, Indigenous Peoples groups, senior citizens and private groups present entertainment each night.
Besides the 153-foot tree, what can kids do at Christmas in Puerto Princesa?
Kids can catch the December 1 tree lighting with fireworks at Balayong People's Park and the nightly shows of Pista Na, Pasko Pa. The 2023 lighting had 18 choirs and a pyromusical show. The city jail's giant Parol ng Pagbabago lantern and the mall's 50-foot Eiffel Tower-style tree are other sights from past years.
Which spots around town have had Christmas trees for families to visit?
Start with Balayong People's Park, where the giant tree has been lit in recent years, and the Baywalk, where the community tree stood in 2018 and 2019. The SM City Puerto Princesa mall put up a 50-foot tree outside in 2019. Lights were also put up at Junction 1 and Junction 2 in 2018. Rally Takes the Train's Puerto Princesa Christmas events guide will list 2026 events once dates are confirmed.
Is there a Christmas Day program in Puerto Princesa?
No Christmas Day program is given. They do say the city's celebration runs through December, with nightly shows and a tree that stays lit after the December 1 opening. Families wanting a Christmas Day plan may need to ask the City Tourism Office closer to the date.
Does the Christmas season in Puerto Princesa start on December 1?
The city's official lighting does. The tree is lit on December 1, and nightly shows begin a day earlier, on November 30. The City Tourism Office says the lighting marks the start of the Christmas season. Malls can start sooner: SM City Puerto Princesa opened its Christmas display on November 8 in 2019.
Why is the tree lit on December 1 in Puerto Princesa?
A 2019 report links the Baywalk lighting to the city's Christmas and feast day celebration for its patron, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. The City Tourism Office also describes the lighting as the start of the Christmas season, followed by a month of nightly shows.
How many parols were on the 2018 Puerto Princesa Christmas tree?
The 2018 community tree was described as 100 feet tall and decorated with more than 100 parols, the star-shaped lanterns Filipinos hang at Christmas. They were wrapped in white rainproof material and colorful lights. The tree was dedicated to John 3:16, and lights were also put up at Junction 1 and Junction 2.
What is the Parol ng Pagbabago at the Puerto Princesa City Jail?
It is a giant star lantern lit each year at the Puerto Princesa City Jail. In December 2019 the ceremony started the jail's Christmas celebration. The star is about twenty times the size of an ordinary lantern and faces the national highway in Barangay Santa Monica. Inmates performed, and the warden said it brings Christmas spirit to those away from family.
What does parol mean in Puerto Princesa's Christmas decorations?
A parol is a star-shaped Christmas lantern that Filipino families hang during the season. In Puerto Princesa the word shows up in the 2018 community tree, which carried more than 100 of them, and in the Parol ng Pagbabago, the giant star lantern lit at the city jail in December 2019.
Does the mall in Puerto Princesa put up a Christmas tree?
Yes. When SM City Puerto Princesa opened its Christmas display on November 8, 2019, it had a 50-foot Eiffel Tower-style tree outside and a 30-foot tree on the Lower Ground Floor. The 2019 theme was Paris as a wonderland. The 2026 mall program has not been confirmed yet.
Can kids send an e-letter to Santa from Puerto Princesa?
In 2019 SM ran #DearSMSanta, a digital mailbox where children sent Christmas wishes by e-letter. The mailbox lived on the SM Supermalls website. Check the mall's website for whether it returns in 2026, since it has not been confirmed. It was part of the mall's 2019 Christmas program.
What is the Bears of Joy project at the Puerto Princesa mall?
Bears of Joy is an SM Cares project started in 2011 with Toy Kingdom. Shoppers buy a pair of bears, and one is donated to a community of special kids. In 2019 each bear cost P200. It was featured at the SM City Puerto Princesa Christmas opening that year.
Is the Christmas tree lighting in Puerto Princesa free?
Thousands of residents gathered for the lighting, and no ticket or entry fee is mentioned. No 2026 date or price has been confirmed, so it is best to check with the City Tourism Office before heading out.
How big are the crowds at the Puerto Princesa tree lighting?
A 2018 report said thousands attended the Baywalk lighting. In 2022 many residents came. Because of the crowds, a fireworks finish and a rising tree each year, families with small children may want to arrive early and pick a spot with room to step back.
Has a cruise ship visited Puerto Princesa around Christmas?
Around the 2023 tree lighting, the MV Norwegian Jewel visited on the Tuesday before with more than 3,000 passengers and crew. Earlier that November the MS Silver Whisper brought 382 vacationers. The city tourism department said it was working to attract foreign cruise ships.
Have any 2026 Puerto Princesa Christmas dates been confirmed?
No 2026 dates for the tree lighting or mall programs have been confirmed yet. Rally Takes the Train's Puerto Princesa Christmas events guide adds events only after the host or an official calendar shows a 2026 date, so check back in late November and December.
Sources
- Festive Christmas light show and tree illumination in Palawan, Interaksyon (Philstar)
- Puerto Princesa lights up 'growing' 135-foot Christmas tree, Philippine News Agency
- Thousands attend Christmas tree lighting in Puerto Princesa, PTV News
- Most desirable island kicks off Christmas revelry with light, fireworks display, Philippine Daily Inquirer
- Giant Christmas tree lighting on December 1 at Puerto Princesa Baywalk, Palawan Daily News
- December Pista Na, Pasko Pa, Puerto Princesa City Government
- PPCJ lights up giant Parol ng Pagbabago, Palawan Daily News
- SM Puerto Princesa opens Paris-inspired Christmas, Palawan Daily News