With a large colorful booth focusing on the CALABARZON area and folk dances coupled with vibrant music of a rondalla group, Philippine participation at the 15th Honolulu Festival was much appreciated by the thousands of visitors who streamed into the Honolulu Convention Center from 13 to 15 March 2009.
The Philippine booth, designed by famous Rizal-based artist/painter Mr. Nemi Miranda, showcased the best of the Calabarzon through its art, dances, products and services. It was inspired by the Pahiyas and Higantes Festivals of Quezon and Rizal provinces, respectively. A crowd favorite were three “Higantes,” the replicas of giants made from colorful paper mache measuring ten to twelve feet in height, which are the attraction of the “Higantes” Festival in Angono, Rizal. Visitors were also drawn to the pineapple and jusi embroidery demonstrations from Laguna, art pieces from Rizal, “buntal” hats from Quezon, food products from various regions, and the rondalla and dance group from Cavite, raffle prizes of Philippine products and delicacies, and a video on our tourism spots.
The Philippine booth was officially opened in a ribbon cutting ceremony led by Consul General Ariel Y. Abadilla (top photo, center, in barong), Regional Director Louella Jurilla of the Department of Tourism Region IV and Hawaii Tourism Authority Vice President Muriel Anderson (top photo, second and third from left). Other officials present from right to left (top photo) were: Board Member Alona Obispo of Quezon Province, DOT Los Angeles Attache Annie Cuevas, Executive Director of the Honolulu Festival David Asanuma (in aloha shirt), Consul General Ariel Y. Abadilla, Muriel Anderson, and Louelle Jurilla).
Two dance groups, the Kalayaan Philippine Dance Theater composed of students from De La Salle University Cavite and the Montessori de Cagayan Dance Troupe made up of eight to eleven year olds from Tuguegarao City, performed Philippine dances at the Hawaii Convention Center, at the grand parade and in various venues of the Festival. Both dance groups also met and interacted with the Honolulu schools, and performers from other countries of the Festival.
The Philippine participation was covered by the KHON 2 Morning News program on Friday, 13 March, which had Mr. Manolo Morales, a Fil-Am media personality in Hawaii interviewing Director Jurilla on Calabarzon. Photo below shows artist Nemi Miranda painting on a jusi shawl while Director Jurilla shows Mr. Morales other products from Calabarzon. The Kalayaan Philippine Dance Theater performed during the coverage.
The event was a successful demonstration of Philippine culture and arts as well as tourist destinations, made possible with the full support of the CALABARZON local government officials such as Cavite Governor Ireneo “Ayong” Maliksi, Quezon Governor Rafael Nantes, and Lumban Mayor Wilfredo Paraiso.
The Quezon delegation was headed by Board Member Alona V. Obispo together with Provincial Tourism Officer Gladys C. Mayo and “buri” demonstrator Annie Calleja. They displayed different hats and products made of “buri.”
The Cavite delegation was headed by Provincial Administrator Aristides Velasco together with the Kalayaan Philippines Dance Theater from Dasmariñas.
Rizal province was represented by Mr. Nemi Miranda who shared his talent to the public through free portrait painting. He also displayed his paper mache masks which reflected the different meaning of life. Rizal is the hometown for producing the Philippine’s talented painters, sculptors and artists.
Laguna was represented by Ms. Vicky de Ramos of Burdahand Center, producer of excellent Barong Tagalog and other embroidery products. Ms. De Ramos’ displayed exquisite embroideries in Barong, blouses, kimonos and ternos.
The Festival ended with the Grand Parade at Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki on Sunday, 15 March. The Kalayaan Philippine Dance Theater and the Montessori de Cagayan performed together to the cheers and admiration of locals and foreign tourists. Two Filipino-American groups, Katipunan and BIBAK (an acronym for the provinces of Benguet, Ifugao, Bontoc, Apayao and Kalinga) also rendered Philippine dances. The Katipunan and BIBAK groups are composed of students in the Philippine studies program of the University of Hawaii (UH) at Manoa.
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19 March 2009
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