10 June 2015 – In the usual colorful pageantry typical of Filipino festivities, the Filipino community in Switzerland celebrated the 117th year anniversary of Philippine independence on June 06 at Mehrzweckhalle Bach in Uetendorf, Berne. The event, which bannered the theme “Humakbang sa Kinabukasan Kakabit ang Ating Nakaraan”, was organized by the Filipino Network of Berne in cooperation with the Philippine Embassy. It was attended by around 700 people from all over Switzerland.
The festivity kicked off with the celebration of the Holy Mass by Fr. Antonio Enerio, Chaplain of the Philippine Catholic Mission-Switzerland. The program proper, which commenced after lunch, opened with a parade of banners representing the various Filipino organizations in Switzerland.
Guests of Honor were Philippine Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein Leslie J. Baja, Philippine Permanent Representative to the UN Office in Geneva Cecilia B. Rebong, and Philippine Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization in Geneva Esteban B. Conejos, Jr. The three ambassadors delivered their messages to the Filipino community, commending them for bringing honor to the country and urged them to be proud of their Filipino heritage.
True to the theme chosen by the Filipino community in Berne, the program depicted the richness of Philippine heritage through performances from various Filipino organizations representing the three main islands of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Each of which showcased their rich cultural traditions through dances and colorful costumes.
The celebration was made special by the presence of the University of the Philippines Concert Chorus who sang their own unique renditions of selected Filipino music. Fribourg-based Filipino singer Vincent Levantino also performed a couple of patriotic songs to the delight of the audience.
Personnel of the Philippine Embassy in Berne and the two Philippine Missions based in Geneva led by the three ambassadors readily joined the festivity and belted out their rendition of “Pinoy Ako”.
The Philippine Independence Day celebration would not be complete without the usual food fair typical of Filipino festivals. Food stalls offering classic Filipino fare such as adobo, pancit, lumpia, dinuguan, and various other native delicacies lined outside the hall where the program was held. Apart from food, some stalls sold items from the different regions in the Philippines such as trinkets and home products.
The Philippine Embassy also took advantage of the presence of a large number of Filipinos during the event and conducted registration for overseas voting in preparation for the 2016 Philippine National Elections during which the Embassy registered a total of 20 new registrants. END