1 August 2013 – More than a thousand Israelis and Filipinos trooped to the Castra Center in Haifa to witness Philippine Fair 2013 on July 24 and 25.
The Fair, which was organized by the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv, in cooperation with the Municipality of Haifa, Castra Center and Western Union, is a much-anticipated event in Haifa which features booths selling Philippine handicrafts, food and other products. A two-day cultural program also takes place during the Fair, showcasing Filipino music and dances.
Philippine Fair 2013 kicked off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the photo exhibit, “Yesterday and Today: A Look at Philippines – Israel Relations through the Years.” The exhibit was housed within the Castra Center and displayed photographs from as far back as the 1930s, during the time of the Philippines' “Open Door Policy.” The Open Door Policy allowed more than 1,200 European Jews to flee the Holocaust and seek refuge in the Philippines.
The exhibit also included photographs of the Embassy and its activities since 1962, as well as short-listed entries from the Embassy's 2012 Photo Contest “Perspectives of 50 Years of Philippines - Israel Friendship.”
Mr. Eli Kules, member of the Haifa Municipality Foreign Relations Committee and City Council, started the program by welcoming the audience and expressing his appreciation for the good relations between the Philippines and Israel. He thanked the Philippines for its role in saving Jews during the Second World War and proposed that the Embassy and the Municipality of Haifa collaborate on more projects.
Mrs. Aviva Dankner, owner of Castra Mall, also reiterated her appreciation for the Philippines' Open Door Policy and noted the kindness of the Filipino people. She thanked them for their good work in taking care of the elderly and disabled in Israel.
Mr. Carmel Hacohen, Philippine Honorary Consul in Haifa, thanked Philippine Ambassador to Israel Generoso Calonge and the Embassy for once again bringing the Philippine Fair to Haifa. He informed the audience that this was the fifth Philippine Fair to be held at Castra Center, a testament to the Philippines' history of good relations with the Municipality of Haifa.
Ambassador Calonge thanked the Municipality of Haifa, Castra Center, and Western Union for once again giving the Embassy the venue to present the Philippines' rich and diverse cultural history. He noted the Embassy's special relationship with Haifa, particularly the Embassy's long history of holding the Philippine Fair in the city, the latter's sister city agreement with Manila, and the recently inaugurated Kikar HaFilipinim, a marker commemorating the Philippines' assistance to the Jews during the Holocaust.
“We invite you to experience the Philippines tonight as we share with you our history through our music and dances, and through our food,” Ambassador Calonge said. “What you will see will only be a small glimpse of our 7,107 islands, 120 languages, and 94 million people, but we hope that this Fair will serve as the gateway for you to learn more about our country and see more of what it can offer.”
The audience was treated to Filipino delicacies such as halo-halo, puto, kakanin, empanada, caldereta and lumpia, while Makati Cabalen, a long-time retailer of Filipino food products in Israel, sold popular Filipino snacks brought straight from the Philippines.
The highlight of the Fair, however, was the cultural program. Over the two-day Fair, promising young singers Kathleen Eligado, Ezra Ng and Kathleen Sabo wowed the audience with their renditions of “Isang Lahi,” “Ako ay Pilipino,” “Isang Awit,” and other English and Hebrew songs. Mr. Johnny Ramos of the Batangas Raging Colligation (BARACO) sang a moving rendition of “Sana'y Wala ng Wakas,” while children from Pinay Namaste Kids Club garnered praises for their complex modern dance number.
The audience was also mesmerized by performances of “Sayaw sa Banga” (by the Federation of Filipino Communities in Israel/ FFCI), “Leron, Leron, Sinta,” (by Kapatiran ng Manggagawang Pilipino sa Israel/KAMPI), “Kuratsa,” and “Bulaklakan” (by Visayas-Mindanao Organization/ VISMIN).
Worth mentioning as well was the participation of the 6th Philippine Contingent to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan Heights. The Filipino peacekeepers performed a Cordillera War Dance, the Muslim Fan Dance, and a demonstration of Pekiti Tercia Kali, much to the delight of the audience.
Israeli friends of the Embassy also contributed to the program. Mr. David Herman performed “Thank You, Filipinos,” a song he composed praising the work of Filipino caregivers in Israel, while Mr. Guy Kaplan, a native of Haifa, held adults and children alike spellbound with his juggling act “Inner Silence.”
Lightning Scientific Arnis Israel, a local arnis school founded by Master Jon Escudero, also demonstrated various techniques of the Filipino martial art. At one point, the audience worried that the stage would collapse due to the intensity of the sparring.
Not to be outdone, Embassy staff danced the “Pandango sa Ilaw” and “Kappa Malong Malong,” while their children performed a modern dance. The program was capped with a parade of Filipiniana, also by Embassy staff, displaying numerous iterations of the national dress in different colors and fabrics.
The Philippine Fair once again placed the spotlight on Philippines-Israel friendship and the rich tapestry of Filipino culture. In line with the Embassy's goal of promoting Philippine culture and people-to-people contacts, the audience left the Fair dazzled by the colors, music, dance and folklore of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. END