28 April 2015 – The Philippine Embassy in Nairobi recently participated in the 3rd Nairobi Cultural Festival held at the Nairobi National Museums at April 19. The event, which was participated in by fifteen Diplomatic Missions and drew hundreds of international revelers, aimed to promote cultural harmony as encapsulated in this year’s theme of World heritage, World unity, Unity in Diversity.
The Philippine booth highlighted the contributions of Filipino women in Philippine society and internationally through an exhibit featuring prominent Filipino women in history such as the late President Corazon C. Aquino, Lea Salonga, Monique Lhuillier, boxer Ana Julaton, Prima Ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, Miss World Megan Young and other Filipinas in different fields. Bags, hats and fans made with traditional buri materials by the women of Quezon Province through Unique Unisan Weavers was put on display together with hand crafted Philippine pearl jewelries. Additionally, a video presentation showcasing the accomplishments of Filipino women was played throughout the exhibit.
In addition to the above highlights, the Philippine booth also displayed the architectural works of architects Felino Palafox, Leandro Locsin and Francisco Manosa, as well as paintings of local Filipino artists depicting Filipino women and the Filipino way of life. The Embassy also promoted Philippine tourism by distributing flyers from the Department of Tourism.
The event culminated in a four-hour cultural program featuring performances by the participating countries at the National Museums’ amphitheater. The Embassy, together with the Filipino community in Nairobi, had a three-part presentation in front of a packed international audience which included a fashion show with children and adults showcasing traditional Filipiniana attire such as the barong tagalog and baro’t saya and local attire from the Igorot and Muslim areas, an amazing song number by a Filipina and a spectacular performance of singkil which brought the house down. This performance was met with thunderous applause by the audience, and the performers received congratulations afterwards by the organizers and participants from other countries.
The Philippine Embassy’s participation was part of its Gender Awareness and Development program as well as its cultural, economic and tourism advocacies. END