23 August 2013 - The Philippine Consulate General in New York (NY) reported that the Philippine Department of Tourism (PDOT)-NY joined the Fiesta in America held on August 17 to 18 in Meadowlands Expo Center, Secaucus, New Jersey (NJ), to promote Philippine tourist destinations. PDOT-NY gave Philippine tourism information materials to people visiting the Philippine booth during the two-day event.

Previously called as Philippine Fiesta during the last 14 years, Fiesta in America had become bigger and more inclusive with the participation of other minority groups of Asian Americans and Latinos.  The event is acknowledged as the largest two-day indoor gathering of Filipino Americans in the US East Coast, attracting about 10,000 guests per day and featuring trade, business, cultural and entertainment shows and activities. The Fiesta in America is an annual project of Philippine Fiesta USA, Inc., a non-profit organization.

Piolo Pascual, Angeline Quinto and Florante were among the special performers that delighted the visitors at the Fiesta in America. Filipino American priest and TV chef Leo Patalinghug also did a cooking demonstration during the show.

Among the officials who attended this year’s event were Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Cuisia, Jr. and his wife, Vicky, Consul General Mario De Leon, Jr. and  his wife, Eleanor, New Jersey Senator Robert Gordon, Mayor Michael Gonelli of Secaucus, NJ, and Mayor Carlos Aguasvivas of the Borough of Bergenfield, NJ.

The Philippine Consulate General and PDOT-NY are sustaining their aggressive promotion of Philippine tourism after the New York-based Travel+Leisure magazine named Palawan as Overall Top Island and the Top Island in Asia for 2013, with Boracay placing second in both categories. END