28 September 2016— More than 300 guests recently attended Cultural Night at the Calvinhaus in Biel in celebration of Bayanihan Filipino Biel’s 15th anniversary.
In her welcome message, Consul General Maria Theresa S.M Lazaro, commended the Bayanihan Filipino Biel for helping profile and mainstream Philippine cultural heritage in Switzerland.
“I am happy to see so many second generation Swiss-Filipinos tonight. I hope that cultural events like this will introduce them to their rich Philippine cultural heritage and encourage them to embrace their Philippine roots and values,” said Consul Lazaro.
The presence of a large number of Swiss at the event was a testament to the group’s success in mainstreaming Philippine culture in Switzerland. Representatives from the local Swiss media, both TV and radio, were also present at the event.
The program was a mix of cultural dances representing the different regions in the Philippines, to name a few: Ragragsakan Dance of the Kalinga tribe in the Cordilleras; Kadal Tahu, a traditional dance of the T’boli tribe; Cariñosa, Tiklos and Tinikling from the Visayan region. The latter served as a finale, during which a number of people from the audience enthusiastically participated.
The Bayanihan Filipino Biel is one of the Filipino associations in Switzerland that are actively promoting Philippine culture. The group also supports several charitable organizations in the Philippines such as Island Kids Philippines (IKP) in Cagayan de Oro and Cancer Warriors in Lucena, Quezon. END
