Bol-Anons present Hermosa Festival of Zamboanga City at the Philippine Independence Day celebrations yesterday.
The ongoing Philippine Independence Day Celebrations (PIDC) has brought a slice of the vast array of Philippine festivals through a dance competition which kicked off yesterday at City Centre Rotana Doha.
Celebrated in every town and city yearly, festivals have been a magnet for Philippine tourism which is witnessing significant growth as Philippine Department of Tourism aggressively undertakes a number of initiatives to boost the sector.
With a focus on tourism, this year’s PIDC under the theme “Beautiful Philippines” has organized for the first time Philippine festival parade to serve as one of the main features of the three-day event.
Filipino theatre group Tanghalang Overseas Pinoy (TOPi) marked a colourful start to the competition with a performance of the Panagbenga Festival, a month-long flower festival held every February in Baguio City.
It was followed by Bol-Anon Association Qatar’s presentation on Hermosa Festival, a month-long festival occurring in Zamboanga which is considered one of the oldest festivals in the country.
The show concluded with Hirinugyaw-Suguidanonay festival of Calinog, Iloilo City, which is the only literary festival of Iloilo whose highlight is a tribal dance competition showcasing the indigenous culture of the people.
Colourful costumes and props coupled with vibrant choreography resulted to an exceptional show applauded by the audience. Regional groups, dance crews and students added colour to yesterday’s event with their cultural and modern dance presentations spread throughout the day.
Four more community organizations participating in the competition will stage performances this morning. They include HERO Qatar (Manggahan Festival), Pinoy Heart Radio (Masskara Festival), Filipino Fitness and Health Qatar (Malong-Malong) and BIMAK Qatar (War Dance).
Contestants of the search for Lakan and Lakambini ng Kalayaan 2017 competed in a talent segment yesterday. The much-awaited crowning of the winners of the search will be held this afternoon. It will be followed by the awarding of outstanding Filipinos in Qatar in various fields through the inaugural Alliance of Filipino Journalists in Qatar (AFJQ) ‘Gawad Parangal para sa Natatanging Overseas Pinoy’.
Meanwhile, a flag hoisting ceremony led by Ambassador Alan L Timbayan was held at the Philippine Embassy yesterday morning. It was followed by the traditional ‘Almusal ng bayan’ (community breakfast).
Embassy officials, heads of Filipino organisations and community members attended the event.
