Pinoy power plays its part

The all-day event, sponsored and organised by the Filipino Community in Bahrain and the Philippine Embassy, featured a variety of electrifying entertainment acts as well as a fair filled with booths showcasing the country’s culture, art and cuisine.

Alfonso A. Ver, the ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to the Kingdom of Bahrain, was thrilled to see the community come together to celebrate the occasion at the Tubli attraction on Friday, which also featured an appearance by celebrity actor Edgar Allan Guzman.

He said: “It was a great day and what made it really great was having the Filipinos community come together. “We are celebrating the 118 anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine’s independence.  Our anniversary is actually on June 12 but since its Ramadan we decided to rejoice early.

“The theme for the Philippine Fiesta 2016 celebration was ‘unity, giving your share and moving forward’ and this festival was the best example of that.  Fiestas are full of fun, food, music, dancing and, of course, raffle prizes!”

He also thanked the Royal Family for ‘giving the opportunity’ for 60,000 Filipinos in Bahrain to consider the country their ‘second home’, as well as to become ‘positive contributors’ to the community.  The ambassador hoped the event would also help promote goodwill and cooperation between Filipinos in Bahrain and locals, alongside other expatriate communities living in the kingdom.

The Philippines and Bahrain established diplomatic relations in the early 1980s with the Philippine Ambassador to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, accredited as ‘non-resident Ambassador to the State of Bahrain’.  In 1992, due to the growing number of overseas Filipino workers, the embassy of the Philippines in Bahrain was formally established with ambassador Leonides T Caday at the helm.

Over the years, the Filipino community has grown to become the fourth largest expatriate society on the island. Ambassador Alfonso added: “We opened this festival to the entire expatriate community, to our brothers and sisters in Bahrain, who provided a welcoming, hospitable and peaceful place for Filipinos to thrive, work and realise their potential.

We also encourage everyone to get know more about the Philippines.” The festival started off with the roaring of engines from a Harley Davison motorcade followed by a series of colourful, traditional dances lighting up the centre stage. Streamers, banners and flags added to the cheerful atmosphere.

Visitors of all nationalities cheered on family and friends performing one hit after another on stage while others checked out the various food stalls. Filipino Vlyschelle Simmons, 32, and her British husband, Matt, 34, from Amwaj Islands, devoured Filipino-style Shumai dim sums.

Matt, an aircraft engineer, said: “The event was great. It felt like we were back in the Philippines. It was fantastic to see the community in one place.” Vlyschelle added: “We love Bahrain. We have only been here for two years and are enjoying every minute of it.” The Philippine Nurse Association, Bahrain Chapter, provided free blood sugar tests and doctors were also available to offer consultations.

Children gleefully played a  number of traditional Filipino games and had their pictures taken in life-size cut outs of boxing legend Manny Pacquiao  and Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, the
64th Miss Universe. Many mums enjoyed getting pampered at the variety of beauty booths on hand, while others admired the accessories on sale.

The FilHarmonics, an all Filipino musical group founded by The Gulf Hotel Bahrain’s marketing and communications manager, Ryan Advincula, and two other friends, performed jazz, funk and well-known Filipino rock numbers throughout the event. Drummer Ryan, 36, from Hoora, said: “My friends and I formed the FilHarmonics because we have been in Bahrain for so long, love jamming together and there is a huge group of Filipino musicians here.

This event was our launch concert and we attracted 19 musicians playing for our country directed by Obet Abadines. “I have been living in Bahrain for almost 33 years. My mother Solina brought me to the kingdom when I was around two. She was one of the first piano teachers brought into Bahrain during the 1980s to work for the local music institute.

“I’m very proud to be living in Bahrain and to have performed at this wonderful event. This is one of the biggest anniversary celebrations so far staged in the kingdom. The venue was great and big thankyou should also go to the organisers for arranging free transportation so that all interested Filipinos in Bahrain could enjoy the festivities.”

Ryan’s wife, Bernadette, and daughters Trisha, 11, and Zelina, five, cheered from the side-lines with their cousins Camille, 18, and Erin, nine, as he performed on stage accompanied by his sister Faith singing ‘Proud Mary’.

Cristalyn Pastrana, 30, from Seef, attended the event with her five-year-old daughter Salma. The Sheraton Hotel Bahrain’s director of marketing believes it was one of thethe best events ever put together by the Filipino community. She said: “It was well organised and had lots of activities and entertainment for everyone - truly a job well done! This shows that bayanihan - which means working together - is still alive, so kudos to the committee.”

This is not the first time the community has rallied to support one another, be it in good times or in crisis. For example, it banded together when a typhoon struck back home in November, 2013.

Authorities estimated more than 3,900 people were killed when Typhoon Haiyan, one of the largest ever recorded, made landfall and the sea surged ashore. When survivors were left desperate for water, food, medicine, shelter, hygiene and sanitation, the Philippines Bahrain community staged a campaign to help collect muchneeded essential goods and raise funds to help.