Filipino culture showcased in Lisbon Business Mirror 25 September 2019
LISBON—The Philippine Embassy led the monthlong celebration of the 121st anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence in June at the Terras Sem Sombra, Artes â Solta Festival in Ferreira do Alentejo.
In collaboration with
organizers, the embassy and municipality officials, the Philippine Day activity
provided an inclusive experience on the richness and vibrancy of Filipino culture
through food, music, traditional games and handicrafts. The embassy also took
the opportunity to promote various tourist destinations in the Philippines by
giving away anahaw-woven fans from Quezon province, dried mangoes from Cebu and
3D holographic destination luggage tags from the Department of Tourism.
Filipina entrepreneur and Chef Jaymaylyn Galiza Day prepares Filipino-style fried lumpia. Guests also got to sample spicy sisig.
The morning program started
in the Ferreira do Alentejo Municipal Garden with a Filipino fiesta setting
with kiosk of street food, exhibited and operated by Jaymalyn Galiza Day, a
Lisbon-based chef who owns Diplomata catering service. Filipina entrepreneurs
and co-owners of GustoKO, Paula Figueras and Queenie Guzman, also showcased a
selection of handicraft products.
Figueras and Guzman are
recognized as the embassy’s “cultural entrepreneurs” for not only creating
economic value to Philippine products, but for also pursuing Filipino culture
and heritage.
The afternoon event gave
participants an ultimate Filipino eating experience with Filipino favorites,
such as pork adobo with rice served in coconut rice bowls, as well as local
snacks from Alentejo like ferreirense (cake), chouriço (sausage),
as well as traditional cheese and olives.
Visitors enjoy Filipino pork adobo served in coconut rice bowls.
Visitors got to play
Filipino traditional games such as sungka, dama and patintero,
while Filipino children also enjoyed participating in the traditional Alentejo
games like paper kite making, rope jumping, walking with stilts and face
painting.
Pundaquit Virtuosi, a
28-member youth string ensemble from San Antonio, Zambales, ended their 2019
European tour with an evening concert before a crowd of 500. It played a
diverse repertoire of classical music masterpieces, popular original Pilipino
music staples and contemporary standards.
The show ended with the
string ensemble and Portuguese all-male singing group Os Boinas (The Berets)
performing the song “Amor Pelo Dois,” the winning Portuguese entry at the 2017
Eurovision singing contest.
Ambassador Celia Anna M.
Feria expressed her appreciation to the Municipality of Ferreira do Alentejo
and to festival organizers for allowing the embassy to showcase the best of
Filipino culture. Members of the Filipino community in Lisbon also came to
partake in the festival.
The Terras Sem Sombra
festival is held annually since 2013, bringing music, heritage and biodiversity
together. This year’s edition also featured Madrid-based Filipina soprano
Aniway “Manila” Adap, who performed a full-concert repertoire at the Igreja
Matriz de Sao Vicente in Cuba Alentejo in May.
The Philippines also shared
its best practices of biodiversity conservation in April for the “Resist the
Invader: The Water Hyacinth and the Guadiana Basin” event in Elvas, Alentejo.
The Philippine Day Activity at Ferreira do
Alentejo is a culmination of the Country’s participation in the 2019 Terra Sem
Sombra Festival. DFA
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