20 June 2014 - In collaboration with the Filipino community in Lebanon, the Philippine Embassy in Beirut successfully held a whole day celebration of the 116thAnniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Palace in Beirut on June 8.
The festivities started with the traditional flag ceremony and the reading of Independence Day Messages of the President, Vice President, Secretary of Foreign Affairs and the Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment. After the flag ceremony, a Catholic Mass and a joint evangelical Christian service were held simultaneously in the two opposite wings of the UNESCO Palace.
Dr. Walid Mousalem, President of the National Higher Conservatory of Music, representing the Minister of Culture of Lebanon, arrived at noon to cut the ceremonial ribbon to formally open the Food Festival and Cultural Show. After the ceremony, Dr. Mousalem and other VIP guests partook of traditional Filipino dishes while being entertained with Filipino songs. Other guests, members of the Filipino community and their friends trooped to the Mezzanine Floor of the UNESCO Palace where the food festival was being held.
The Cultural Show was held at the UNESCO Palace Theatre. In her welcome remarks, Ambassador Ruiz thanked the Minister of Culture Raymond Arayji, through his official representative Dr. Mousalem, for supporting the Independence Day Food Festival and Cultural Show. She praised the Lebanese sponsors, BOB Finance Western Union and Qatar Airways, for making the event possible. She also commended the Filipino community organizations for their participation and cooperation.
The audience composed of almost 1,000 Filipino workers and their Lebanese friends and supporters happily showed their
appreciation of the performances. The singing competition featured all original Pilipino music (OPM) songs while the folk dances included Sakuting, Bakya, Pagapir, Wasiwas, Kappa Malong-Malong, Sayaw sa Cuyo and Tinikling. Ms. Cheryl Bayeta, who sung Dakilang Lahi, won the singing competition, while Brian Famini and Kenneth Tatoy placed second and third.
The raffle draw netted two winners of two roundtrip tickets to the Philippines and another two for cash prizes. As a gesture of its appreciation, the Embassy awarded certificates of appreciation to the participants of the Food Festival and Cultural Show. The Embassy served light snacks to the attendees before they left the Palace. END
