17 February 2016 - Philippine Ambassador to Oman Narciso T. Castañeda, accompanied by the officers and staff of the Philippine Embassy, visited Amerat Park in Muscat on February 11. Amerat Park is one of the venues of the month-long Muscat Festival 2016. This year marks the the first time Filipino performers were invited to perform at the Muscat Festival.

The Embassy personnel, including representatives of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) and Social Security System (SSS) representative, also attended the performance of the Philippine Baranggay Folk Dance Troupe (PBFDT), which is composed of voluntary teachers and students from different universities in Metro Manila. The troupe has performed Philippine folk dances and kundiman songs during the Festival, which this year invited Filipino performers for the first time.

Muscat Festival officials also offered the Embassy personnel a tour of the Park’s Heritage Village, which showcased Oman’s traditional culture. They were also offered a taste of the Omani traditional sweet called “halwa.”

The Muscat Festival presented a variety of activities including a cultural show, a fashion show, food festival, fireworks, and a bazaar. The month-long festival concluded on February 13. END