13 February 2014 - Philippine Ambassador to Singapore, Minda Calaguian-Cruz, along with Minister and Consul General Alan L. Deniega, warmly greeted and received the members of Hinugyaw Cultural Dance Troupe of Koronadal City at the Philippine Embassy in Singapore on February 05.

The group, consisting of 41 delegates, was headed by Peter B. Miguel, Mayor of Koronadal City.  Koronadal City Councilors Marie Antonina Hurtado and Rose S. Dideles, together with other local government officials, also joined the group.  

The dance troupe, composed of some city government officials, professional performers, and students, were in Singapore to participate in the Chingay Parade 2014.  Since its founding more than ten years ago, the group has performed in Vietnam, the United States of America, Malaysia, as well as Singapore for a NATAS event in 2008. It specializes in performing beautiful dances from the southern Philippines.

Chingay Parade is an annual Chinese New Year procession began in 1973. This year’s Chingay Parade was seen as the grandest as it featured Singapore’s largest batik painting, a 360 meter-long banner which was painted by 40,000 new immigrants and locally born Singaporeans, and inspired by this year’s theme, “Colours of Fabric, One People”.

Around 500 foreign performers from six countries, including the Hinugyaw Cultural Dance Troupe from the Philippines, took part in the annual parade. END