00:00Filipino expatriates in the UAE gathered on Friday at Zabil Hall 1 at the Dubai World
00:13Trade Center for an early celebration of the 119th Philippine Independence Day.
00:19Philippine Independence Day is celebrated every June 12, marking the end of more than
00:23three centuries of Spanish rule over the archipelago, however, organizers are commemorating the
00:28event a month early as June 12 falls during Ramadan this year.
00:34We are moving the Philippine Independence Day celebrations a little bit earlier and
00:39not later, primarily also because we would like to capture the participation of our Filipino
00:46youth, the Filipino students in the various Philippine schools in Dubai and the Northern
00:50Emirates.
00:51And one of the reasons we would like the youth to be very involved in community affairs like
00:55this is for them to show how the Filipino community outside the country celebrates
01:02and takes cognizance of the independence and the history that's behind it.
01:09Participants arrived as early as 7 a.m. for the day-long celebration dubbed Kalayaan,
01:14which kicked off with a parade and drum and lyre presentation and featured cultural shows
01:18and expo and various competitions.
01:21Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Constantino Vino Jr. addressed the community while Paul
01:25Raymond Cortez, the Philippine Consul General in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, serenaded
01:30the crowd with some Filipino songs.
01:32Activities this year included competitions like on-the-spot painting contest, Pinoy hairstyle
01:37showdown and original Pinoy music or OPM singing competition in the morning.
01:42In the afternoon, there were battle of the bands and Mr. and Ms. Philippine Independence
01:45Day.
01:46Today promises to be a very fun-filled day with a lot of fiesta atmosphere, with a lot
01:52of singing, dancing, all showcasing the various excellence of the Filipino in several fields,
01:59particularly the arts, dances and culture.
02:01Here we are also at the World Trade Center proud of what we have contributed not only
02:06to the Philippine society but to the global society as well and especially here in the
02:11United Arab Emirates where there are over 191 other ethnicities and nationalities.
02:18This is our chance to show exactly who the Filipino is, what the Filipino soul is comprised
02:23of and what the Filipino is able to contribute to our global society.
02:28One of the highlights of the day was a performance by Filipino singer-composer Rani Raymundo
02:33who serenaded his compatriots with his songs.
02:35Filipino restaurants and shops also showcased a variety of Filipino food and products.
02:39A job fair was also held during the event.
02:42Irish Eden Belleza for Gulf News.
Comments