Unity was the theme of today’s (Jun 9) celebration of the
121st anniversary of Philippine Independence Day on
Chater Road in Central, where about 1,000 Filipinos took part, notwithstanding
the intermittent rain and the searing noontime heat.
Consul General Antonio A. Morales opened the “Kapangyawan” festivities
by thanking all those who took part in the recently-concluded overseas voting
for the Philippine mid-term election, saying they showed Hong Kong that the Filipino
community here is united.
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| Consul General Antonio A. Morales |
“Bagamat sabi nila na sa (panahon) ng halalan ay
nagkakahiwalay ang mga Pilipino, hindi po, sa aking palagay, noong nakaraang
halalan ay nagkasama-sama at nagkaisa ang ating mga kababayan…
“Mayroong pagkakaiba ang paniniwala, ayos lang. Pero
pinakita ninyo na kayo ay may pakialam, pagmamahal at pagmamalasakit sa ating
bansa,” said Congen.
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Earlier, Fr Jay Flandez, Catholic chaplain for Filipinos, ended
the interfaith prayer and holy mass that kickstarted the celebration also with
a call for unity.
“Sana we remain united sa ating pagmamahal sa Diyos at sa
bayan,” he said.
In his speech, Congen Morales also pointed out the importance
of Hong Kong in the Filipinos’ struggle for independence, noting in particular
that the national hero, Dr Jose P. Rizal, lived here in 1888, and that the first Filipino flag was sewn
here.
He described Rizal as “parang ang unang OFW” in his speech
before a crowd dominated by Filipino migrant workers wearing the bright,
colorful costumes of their home provinces.
Congen and other Consulate officials, along with hundreds of
performers, waited about an hour under the sun on one end of Chater Road as
workers rushed to set up the stage at the other end.
Then, just as the parade started, heavy rains fell, sending many
participants running for shelter.
But since the Consulate officials decided to march on
despite getting drenched, everyone went back in line, and the celebrations
began in earnest.
After Congen’s speech, members of various Filipino community
organizations wearing colorful, mostly intricate costumes, performed street
dances on Chater Road, unmindful of the rain that soaked most of them.
Providing a special feature to the celebration was the Hong Kong Police Marching Band, which paraded back and forth on the venue before rendering a few on pieces onstage to the delight of the crowd.
The highlight of the day’s celebration was the “Kulay Pinoy”
spectacle, where a seamless program of cultural dances and drama was played out
on stage, before hundreds of performers converged on the road for a high-energy
street dance depicting Philippine music and dance through several decades.
In the afternoon, celebrity artists from the Philippines
Aicelle Santos and Jason Fernandez held
the crowd spellbound with their singing, and provided further entertainment by asking
some members of the audience to sing with them.
Also a hit was OFW Joy Carbonell, whose outstanding vocal
prowess was first discovered in a community singing contest.
Kapangyawan Festival was organized by the Consulate and the
Philippine Association of Hong Kong in partnership with Filcom organizations led
by Global Alliance, Philippine Alliance and Federation of Luzon Active Groups.
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