25 October 2013 - Two choirs from the Philippines took top honors at the 3rd Asia Pacific Choir Games held from October 08 to 18 in Manado City, Indonesia.
The St. Paul College of Parañaque (SPCP) Himig Bulilit Choir won the Gold Medal for Children’s Choir Open Category which was held at the Sintesa Peninsula Hotel, Manado on October 14 while the Saint Louis University (SLU) Glee Club of Baguio City won two Grand Champion Gold Medals in Folklore and Mix Choir Group Categories, which were held at the Sutan Raja Hotel, Manado City on October 18.
The officers and staff of the Philippine Consulate General in Manado, led by Consul General Jose D.R. Burgos, were present to provide support to the Philippine choirs in all their events. The Consulate also hosted dinners on October 14 and 17 to honor and congratulate the choir members.
The Asia Pacific Choir Games is the largest international event for amateur choirs in Asia, organized by INTERKULTUR-Germany, in cooperation with the Provincial Government of North Sulawesi and Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy. One hundred and fifty (150) choir groups from 18 countries participated in the event: Australia, China, Estonia, France, Germany, Hongkong, India, Indonesia, Iran, South Korea, Latvia, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, the Philippines and the United States.
The 3rd Asia Pacific Choir Games were attended by international judges and observers such as Mr. Jonathan Velasco of the University of the Philippines, high-ranking local government officials of North Sulawesi, including those from Manado and Bitung Cities, prominent members of the Indonesian business sector, the media and the public, including members of the Filipino community. END
