31 July 2015 – The MUCH anticipated Barrio Fiesta of the Filipino community in Austria was held on July 25 at the Sportplatz ATV Liesing in Vienna. Attracting Filipinos from all over Austria, Slovenia, and as far as Switzerland, the day-long annual event was a showcase of Filipino talent, ingenuity, culture and cuisine.
Philippine Ambassador to Austria Maria Zeneida Angara Collinson, in her remarks as guest of honor, hailed the annual event as a venue for thanksgiving for the Philippines’ impressive performance as the second fastest growing economy through the years. Noting that next year will mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the Philippines and Austria, she vowed a bigger and better Barrio Fiesta in 2016.
The Ambassador likewise exhorted the Filipino community to retain their Filipino values and at the same time become responsible citizens of their second home. She affirmed that “Filipinos may be taken out of their country, but the Philippines cannot be taken out of the Filipinos.” In enjoining Filipinos to maintain their patriotism and excellence, she encouraged them to continue to intensify their efforts in mastering three languages – Filipino, the country’s national language, English, the language that gives Filipinos the edge in its efforts to be globalle competitive, and German, to facilitate Filipino integration in their adoptive home, Austria.
As part of the efforts of the Philippine Embassy to encourage more Filipinos to vote in next year’s election, onsite overseas voters registration was held at the booth of the Embassy. Eleven (11) new registrants were received as well as 11 applications for various services including transfer of registration records, application of correction of entires, change of address and reactivation of registration records.
To attract tourists and investors, the Embassy displayed posters featuring scenic spots in the Philippines and distributed tourism promotional and investment infomercials.
Led by the Philippine Embassy, Filipino organizations and business establishments participated in a parade which was the highlight of the day’s activities.
Throughout the day, cultural presentations from various groups entertained the event goers.
Numerous booths featuring Filipino food, groceries, travel servies, real estate investment opportunities, cargo forwarding and money remittances attracted the attention of the crowd. Several awards were given, including Best Regional Ethnic Costume, Best Booth, Best Parade Performance and best Business Booth in recognition of the ingenuity and putstanding efforts of the participants. END