Maria Teodora Conde-Prieto, also known as Dinggot Prieto, is the artist behind the giant Christmas tree that was raised in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

Prieto, who majored in comparative literature, and philosophy back in college, was a self taught artist. Although she was not able to get a formal training, painting and art is her passion.

Dinggot Prieto was born and raised in Baguio City, but her mother was a native of Puerto Princesa. Prieto went back to her roots when she decided to migrate back to Palawan in 1990. This act also resulted for Prieto to pursue her art by establishing a cafe-gallery and repository for arts and culture in Puerto Princesa in 1994 called Kamarikutan.

Prieto worked with the national Commission for Culture and the Arts from 2002 to 2008. She was also a member of the executive committee for visual arts. She also joined the provincial government of Palawan as program director for culture and arts, and established the Palawan Culture and Arts Guild together with Governor Joel Reyes.

DAIGDIG PINOY (DP): As an artist, what is your role in the city of Palawan?

PRIETO: I would like to believe that being an artist and a cultural worker, my role in the province of Palawan is primarily the advocacy for culture and the arts as an essential part of development. The arts are a very marginalized sector of society, especially in developing regions and locales such as Palawan. I believe my role is to bring the arts closer to the masses, to the community; to educate the community towards appreciation for the arts. it is advocating the arts as not just being in terms of aesthetics--art is not limited only to the beautiful, but it is both a mirror and a reflection of life, people, society, the world. ang sining ay hindi lamang para gumawa ng maganda.

“Art is a mirror, artists are visionaries who express aspects of life. As an artist, it is my role to reflect the realities of life, people and society, and to bring to the community the understanding that art is entrenched in everything we do; to educate the community that art is both a reflection and a vessel of our culture which in turn defines us as a people.”

DP:  How were you chosen to be the artist to build Palawan’s giant Christmas tree?

PRIETO: It all started with the establishment of kamarikutan which also established me as an artist, and then later, my involvement with the provincial government of Palawan as program director for culture and arts. Initially i was asked to do the production design for an international pageant miss earth which the provincial government hosted in 2000, and that same year,  when the provincial government began the tradition of paskuhan sa kapitolyo, which I believe was its 3rd year, I was invited to initially help as a consultant of sorts, to continue the construction of the Christmas tree which was started by a committee composed of several department heads of the provincial government. The following year, I was then requested to do the overall design and physical arrangements for paskuhan sa kapitolyo.

DP:  What is your theme for this year’s Christmas tree?

PRIETO: This year I decided to do a choreography of lights, which I did for several reasons. On the surface, the Christmas tree and decors must be a showcase of Palaweno skill and artistry. On the deeper level, it must reflect the true spirit of Christmas--of peace, joy, harmony within the context of unity. I feel, we as a nation, are in a sense struggling and groping in what seems to me to be a dark period of political strife, and  are struggling through a dark period of economic crisis. I felt that it was important to embed and express both purpose and meaning through symbolism. The purpose is unity, and the symbolism, light. The christmas tree and all the decors in what I call this choreography of light is supposed to be a beacon of light, where the light draws us together in unity, and guides us in these times of darkness.

I began the design, conceptualization and planning as early as August, and drew up the working drawings by the end of September. Actual construction began in early october and finishing was done in the last three weeks of November.

DP: What were the materials that you used for this year’s Christmas tree?

PRIETO: The materials are almost entirely metal, colored plastic sheets, Christmas garlands,  LED (light emitting diodes),  rope lights and net lights which are far brighter than ordinary lights but consume only a fourth of energy required by conventional lights and bulbs. The total length of LED rope lights used measures 4,600 meters (that's 4.6 kilometers) and the total number of bulbs on the net lights is 44,640. The tree runs on 16 different sets of lighting effects and sequences. i worked with a crew of 98 people--engineers, welders, electricians, construction foremen and laborers.

DP: How tall is the Christmas tree?

PRIETO: The Christmas tree itself is 90 feet tall, the rotating angel crowning it is 7 feet tall, so total height of the tree is 97 feet. The tree sits on the roof of the 3-storey provincial capitol building which is 30 feet high, so from ground level, the total height is 127 feet.

DP: What is your vision in creating this Christmas tree?

PRIETO: I have several visions and objectives for this Christmas tree, as well as all the other decors. It must showcase Palaweno skill, art and artistry, and feature the distinct and unique traditional Filipino Christmas symbol, the parol. A beacon of light to draw us in the spirit of harmony and togetherness, and bring us cheer and joy, all of which to me are the true spirit and essence of Christmas; and, it should somehow serve the community. I wanted it to rest on social consciousness and social responsibility.  

DP: Do you see yourself doing this every year? And Why?

PRIETO: I have been doing this for the past eight years, and, given the chance, I would do it year after year for as long as I can.

It gives me the opportunity to be part of the effort to bring people together, to bring joy to people, to inspire people to hope and work towards a better today and a promising tomorrow, to share my skills and knowledge, to give opportunity of employment, no matter how limited.

DP: What effect does this project do to you as an artist?

PRIETO: It gives me both opportunity and challenge to push myself beyond the limits of what I know how to do, have already done, and what I know I can do. It gives me the opportunity to grow as an artist, to discover new things, to enhance my skills. It gives me the chance to contribute to the community and  it gives me the opportunity to prove that art does serve a higher purpose and has deeper meaning.

DP: What effect does this project do to you as a Filipino?

PRIETO: It reinforces and affirms in me the desire to in one little way, in some obscure corner; aspire for a better today and a brighter tomorrow--one of hope, unity, peace and harmony. It instils in me pride in being Pinoy, and it provides an opportunity to inspire others towards the attainment of this national pride.

Strengthening Palaweno’s love for art and pride as a people, is Prieto’s goal, which she achieves thru her art.

“An artist constantly pushes himself beyond what he has already done, what has already been done by the masters, and what is being done by other artists. So to define oneself in terms of subject, medium, school of thought, etc., is actually to limit oneself within the confines of that specific definition. Even as my medium is as varied as pen and ink, oil, acrylic, terra cotta and mixed media, in the past ten years I have shifted my medium from painting on canvas, etc, to a bigger canvas which is the community, and my medium, my advocacy for the education and awareness towards appreciation for the arts.” Cited Dinggot Prieto.