Pampanga skyline to burst with spectacular colors every Saturday night from February 23 to March 30

Catch the 10th Philippine International Pyromusical Competition (PIPC) at The Meeting Place in SM City Clark in Angeles, Pampanga. The biggest, brightest and grandest fireworks competition in the world is an annual tradition that, for the past 9 years, has managed to gain popularity and has increasingly become highly anticipated by thousands of fireworks enthusiasts and spectators, both local and foreign.

With the theme, “A Decade of Lights, Music, and Magic,” this year’s competition is participated in by 10 world-class competing fireworks manufacturers from different countries all over the world. The participants will take on the challenge of showcasing their prowess to set the night sky ablaze with vividly bright colors that dance in perfect harmony with music.

PIPC will run every Saturday night from February 23 to March 30, with two countries trying to literally outshine each other in a colorful match where the sky will serve as their battlefield and the crowd their captive audience.

The criteria for judging are variety, music, choreography, crowd participation, and safety. Thus, aside from the grand prizes, contenders will also get the chance to bring home a People’s Choice Award. The 5-7 judges headed by Mr. James Deakin will surely have a hard time coming up with this year’s winners.

This SM Supermalls-hosted event has always complied with the international standards for environmental safety, at par with countries like Canada, Australia, and Hong Kong, and the most famous theme parks around the globe.

The annual PIPC also welcomes amateur and professional photographers for the PIPC Photo Contest. Special prizes from the event’s partners and sponsors are up for grabs.

This writer took the time to go to Clark during the first two Saturdays of the competition (and I intend to be there for the next four Saturdays, too, until the finale) to see for myself what the buzz was all about.

The show started at exactly 7:30 in the evening but, as early as 5 pm, there was already a queue near the entrance to The Meeting Place. Half an hour before the Pampanga skyline lighted up with astounding colors, the place was already packed with an excited crowd and was turned into one big picnic ground. People were coming in pairs as couples, or in huge groups of families and friends, proving that the PIPC is indeed a fireworks spectacle for all ages, classes and bunches. The air was cool and, the atmosphere, festive. Food booths were scattered in the area, merchandise of all kinds and sizes were being peddled, and a band was playing nonstop.

A picture paints a thousand words, according to one song. But with the showdown of the brightest fireworks during the PIPC in Clark, no picture or video could ever do justice to the spectacular fireworks display that filled the sky with a breathtaking kaleidoscope of colors and the air with a symphony of sounds – with the two blending together in perfect harmony.

Only one word would come to mind upon witnessing such extravaganza. Magic.

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For those who want to experience the same magic that I did, you may buy your tickets at www.pyrophilippines.com or through SM Tickets, SM Cinemas, SM Mall of Asia and SM City Clark ticket booths, and Metrodeal. Ticket prices range from P1,800 for Patron with dinner, P600 for VIP, P350 for Gold, and P120 for Silver. Ticket prices, however, will vary for the March 30 finale show.

Philippines’ very own Platinum Fireworks Inc. will provide the opening exhibition during the first night and the closing exhibition during the finale. The epic closing exhibition will surely leave the viewers wide-eyed and open-mouthed – a fitting conclusion to a decade of competition among the best fireworks manufacturers in the world.
The competing countries with their corresponding schedules are as follows:

February 23: Opening Exhibition; Belgium’s CBF Pyrotechnics

March 02: Portugal’s Pirotecnia Minhota; Germany’s Steffes-Ollig Feuerwerke

March 09: France’s Brezac Artefices; Finland’s Oy Pyroman

March 16: Italy’s Viviano S.R.L.; United Kingdom’s Pyrotex Fireworks Ltd.

March 23: China’s Polaris Fireworks; Canada’s Fireworks Spectaculars

March 30: Poland’s Surex Firma Rodzinna; Closing Exhibition

This Brightest Show on Earth is made possible with Platinum Fireworks Inc., the City of Angeles, Pampanga, the Department of Tourism, Tourism Promotions Board, Philippine Reclamation Authority, and their many sponsors.

For more information, inquiries and block reservation, visit the SM Supermalls social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and bit.ly/10thPIPCFAQs or call any of their hotline numbers:

Platinum: 0966-9682256; 0947-5989523; (02) 3591486

SM Mall of Asia: (02) 556-0660

S Maison: (02) 946-3848

SM By The Bay: (02) 556-6244

SM City Clark: (045) 499-0198

SM Tickets: (02) 470-2222

Metro Deal: (02) 823-1955

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