Filipino expatriates in the UAE celebrate 119th Philippine Independence Day. Filipino expatriates in Dubai gathered on Friday at the Dubai World Trade Centre for an early celebration of the 119th Philippine Independence Day.
Read the full Gulf News article:
http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/society/expatriates-celebrate-119th-philippine-independence-day-1.2025926
See more at: http://gulfnews.com/gntv
Read the full Gulf News article:
http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/society/expatriates-celebrate-119th-philippine-independence-day-1.2025926
See more at: http://gulfnews.com/gntv
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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.