17 August 2015 – The Philippine Consulate General in Manado won the most-coveted prize in the recently-concluded Tournament of Flowers and was announced as the Grand Champion for having the most impressive and beautifully decorated float (Best Float) out of 27 decorated floats that participated in the parade on August 08 during the Tomohon International Flower Festival. Each of the 27 participating floats presented different designs with entire floats being covered by flowers of various colors.

The Philippine float presented the national flower Sampaguita featuring also the Filipino youth represented by Miss Kathleen W. Susi and Augustine Joshua L. Frogozo, daughter and son of Protocol Officer & Consular Assistant Noli M. Susi and Ms. Valerie L. Frogozo, Secretary to the Consul General & Information Officer, respectively.

Philippine Consul General Oscar G. Orcine and Vice Consul Jan Sherwin Wenceslao led the Consulate General personnel and their dependents who expressed excitement at watching the grand parade of the 2015 Tomohon International Flower Festival.

Other foreign participants included the United States, New Zealand, France, Russia, Poland, and India joined by the various local government units, government agencies, business and private sector groups, and local non-government organizations (NGOs) which also paraded their own spectacular floats of flowers.

The event was organized by the Office of the City Mayor of Tomohon in coordination with the Office of the Governor North Sulawesi Province, the Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) and the Bank of Sulawesi Utara (SULUT) which was attended by local, provincial and national government officials, the ambassadors Poland, New Zealand and Seychelles and other diplomats from India, France and Russia, the business and private sectors, media and thousands of domestic and foreign tourists.

The Tomohon International Flower Festival 2015 (TIFF) was earlier held biennially but became an annual event starting last year. This year’s event was the fifth.

TIFF aims to promote tourism and develop trade, investment and agriculture in Tomohon City. It is also aimed to empower floral farming and related businesses such as restaurants, accommodations and small eateries.

Thousands of locals from all over Indonesia as well as foreign tourists crowded Tomohon’s main streets during the parade. North Sulawesi Governor   Sinyo Harry Sarundajang expressed his best appreciation to the Tomohon City administration and people of Tomohon for organizing the event.  END