Filipinos in Madrid Hold Kalayaan Street Dance Festival; Masskara Performance Wins Top Prize
Philippine Ambassador to Spain Philippe J. Lhuillier delivers his remarks, calling for the creation of a Federation of Filipino Community organizations. (Madrid PE photo)
MADRID 02 July 2018 — Filipinos in Spain, in collaboration with the Philippine Embassy in Madrid, held its annual Barrio Fiesta or Fiesta Filipina in celebration of the 120th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine independence at the Auditorio Pilar Garcia Peña at Piña del Rey Park on 17 June 2018, with a street dance contest and a traditional Filipino food fair.
In his welcome remarks, Philippine Ambassador to Spain Philippe J. Lhuillier underscored the need to create a federation of Filipino Community organizations to ensure a more united, stronger voice for Filipinos in Spain. He also urged the community to embrace its younger members and encourage their involvement and participation in its activities.
For the first time in Madrid, the Filipino Community held a street dancing competition with Filipino festivals as theme.
The Masskara Festival performance by the DDS OWFGME Spain took home the grand prize, Best in Costume and Most Disciplined Group awards, with the Devotees of Sto. Niño’s performance of the Sinulog Festival and the Devotees of Peñafrancia’s Daragang Mayon Festival dance winning second and third, respectively.
An estimated 2000 people from the Filipino and Spanish communities watched the show and visited the food booths at the fair.
Guests were also treated to musical and dance performances by Filipino Community talents, as well as comedy skits by Ate Gay and Boobay, who flew from the Philippines specially for the occasion. END
For more information, visit www.madripe.dfa.gov.ph / www.philembassymadrid.com
or https://www.facebook.com/PHinSpain.
Regional groups wear their traditional garb and perform their traditional dances at the event. (Madrid PE photo)
Devotees of Santo Niño won second place with their Sinulog Festival Dance. (Madrid PE photo)
The devotees of Peñafrancia perform the Mayon Dance that won them third prize.