A P1 million top prize is up for grabs for students from State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) that create the best parol or Christmas lantern out of recyclable materials in this year's "Isang Bituin, Isang Mithiin" parol-making contest.

The Office of the President (OP) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on Monday, Oct. 9, invited students nationwide to join.

Interested groups composed of a maximum of students must submit an original parol made of recycled endemic materials like bamboo, paper, and coconut palm – representing the unique traditions of the SUCs they belong to.

Commercial-made parols are not allowed and will be disqualified.

Participants must submit printed and soft copies of the official endorsement letter from their SUCs.

The deadline for submitting entries in Malacañan is on Oct. 27. Entries can only be submitted during weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Other mechanics of the competition and the criteria for judging can be accessed on the official Facebook page of the Social Secretary's Office.

Winning SUCs will receive a photo and video editing package composed of a gigabyte G7 laptop; a one-year Adobe Creative Cloud subscription; a Canon M50 camera; 1 DJI Ronin-SC camera stabilizer 3-Axis Gimbal; and one INSTA 360 Flow AI-powered smartphone stabilizer.

For students, the first place shall receive P1 million. The second placer shall receive P500,000, while the third placer shall get P250,000. An online poll winner will get P100,000.

The judges for this year's competition are:

• TV host Boy Abunda
• Architect Conrad Onglao
• Former Commissioner for Cultural Heritage of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and former Commissioner for Culture of the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines Architect Mico Manalo

Representatives from SUCs are encouraged to contact Ching Villas at +63 917 3206047 for clarifications and queries about the competition.