23 June 2015 - The Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi commemorated the 117th anniversary of the Proclamation of the Philippine Independence with the Filipino community on June 12 at Dalma Mall, Mussafah.
It was organized by the Embassy and the Bayanihan Council, the umbrella organization of all Filipino organizations in Abu Dhabi.
The event opened with a lively sinulog dance by the members of the Organisasyon ng mga Pilipinong Mang-aawit at Mananayaw sa Abu Dhabi (OPMMAD) at the entrance of the mall. This was followed by the welcome remarks of Engr. Antonio Morales, Chairman of Bayanihan Council and then the inspirational message of Philippine Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Grace Relucio-Princesa.
In her remarks, Ambassador Princesa enjoined the Filipino community in Abu Dhabi to continue the bayanihan spirit among them. She also reminded Filipinos to save and invest for their eventual reintegration back to the Philippines and to stay away from the five I’s that get Filipinos in jail namely indebtedness, intoxication and drugs, immorality, illegal recruitment and improper documents.
Ambassador Princesa then presented the book by Atty. Barney Almazar entitled “The Essential OFW Guide to the UAE” which was written in collaboration with the Embassy. She also expressed hope that with the guide, fewer Filipinos will encounter problems with the laws in the UAE. Copies of the said book were given to the Filipino community free of charge.
Furthermore, a competition among the Filipino youth dubbed as Star Kid Kalayaan 2015 was held during the event. Ten (10) contestants showcased their talents in singing, dancing and declamation while a question and answer portion tested their wit and intelligence.
In the end, Nikko Simon Perez emerged as the Grand Champion. First runner-up was Rai Sean Jean Rivera and the second runner-up was Alliyah Delos Reyes. Best in National Costume was Earl John Redada; Best in Talent was Rai Sean Jean Rivera while the contestant who garnered the most likes on Facebook was Alliyah Delos Reyes. END