Filipinos in Nairobi Celebrates 121st Anniversary of Philippine Independence
Philippine Ambassador to Kenya Alex G. Chua delivers his welcome remarks during the commemoration of the 121st Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence. (Nairobi PE photo)
NAIROBI 28 June 2019 - The Philippine Embassy in Nairobi, together with the Filipino community in Nairobi, weathered the drizzle and light rain of Kenyan winter as they celebrated the 121st Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence at the Embassy’s Chancery on 09 June 2019.
More than 150 Filipinos, their families and friends shared in the fun and festivities of the day, which began with a simple mass celebrated in Filipino by Father Eustaquio “TQ” Mula.
For entertainment, Imbento Band, the resident Filipino band in Nairobi, sustained the celebratory mood with their Filipino sound for the entire event interspersed with dance performances.
While modern and pop dance numbers were rendered by the Filipino community, the Embassy personnel provided a contrast with their more traditional malong dance to the tune of Piliin Mo Ang Pilipinas. An African youth dance corps was also invited by the Filipino community to perform during the occasion.
Another highlight of the event was the crowning of Bernadette Camañag-Umayan with her adobo chavacano entry as the 2019 Adobo Queen. The Embassy launched the search for the Adobo King/Queen and received six entries which were judged on the criteria of taste.
The jovial mood was enhanced by the raffle draw, whose grand prize is a business class return airfare to Manila courtesy of Oman Air. Oman Air representative Peggy Macharia drew the name of Eric Rivera, a Filipino contract worker who recently became a father of a baby girl, enthusiastically appreciated the auspicious timing of the free ticket.
The final highpoint of the event was the anticipated commemoration of Father’s Day, as the community honored fathers, who are the “haligi ng tahanan (home pillar)” of Filipino society in Nairobi, with flowers and chocolates. END
Bernadette Camañag-Umayan (left), the winner of the search for the Adobo King/Queen, is awarded with a golden sandok by Madame Marie Marla Chua (right) during the celebration. (Nairobi PE photo)
Raffle winner Eric Rivera (center) shake hands with Ambassador Chua (right) while Oman Air representative Peggy Macharia (left) look on. (Nairobi PE photo)
Ambassador Chua and the Filipino community in Nairobi pose for a group photo. (Nairobi PE photo)
For more information, visit https://ww.nairobipe.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinKenya/