70K Filipinos, Britons join 'barrio fiesta' in UK

More than 70,000 Filipinos and Britons joined the Philippine barrio fiesta on July 14 and 15, once again turning the Lampton Park in Hounslow, Middlesex, into a virtual stage of one of the longest-running Filipino celebrations in the United Kingdom and throughout Europe, Philippine Ambassador to the UK Edgardo B. Espiritu reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs Wednesday. "On its 23rd year now, the Hounslow Barrio Fiesta is the longest running and the most attended Philippine barrio fiesta in the UK, which Filipinos from all over the UK and other cities in Europe take time off just to attend," Ambassador Espiritu said. He said as early as 9 a.m. Filipinos and Britons trooped to the park dotted with around 80 stalls displaying various Philippine products, from canned goods to native delicacies. Philippine remittance companies and banks, travel agencies, cargoes forwarders, real property developers, restaurants and catering services, retailers and other service providers also put up stalls of their own. Not to be outdone, the Philippine Embassy also set a booth providing information on consular services, tourism, labor, PAG-IBIG, and SSS. A cultural program featuring various Filipino talents based in the UK highlighted the festivities on the first day from morning through the afternoon. In his address, Espiritu said: "As you celebrate and enjoy the festive atmosphere of this event, I hope that you will not forget to use the occasion as a venue for promoting our rich cultural heritage so that our young generation of Filipinos and our British friends present today will have a greater understanding and genuine appreciation of our cultural tradition." He also appealed to Filipinos at the festivities to participate in the country's development endeavors, not only as remitters of dollars to the Philippine economy but also as investors. Hounslow Mayor Andy Morgan-Watts and his wife were among the more than 100 guests present at the reception that the Philippine Tourism-London Office hosted for Friends of the Philippines, who were mostly British nationals involved in promoting Philippine tourism to the British market. Former British Ambassador to the Philippines Paul Dimond and his wife were also guests at the reception. A parade around Hounslow High Street, led by Philippine Deputy Chief of Mission Reynaldo Catapang and officials of the Philippine Centre, highlighted the second day. More than 300 people representing various professional and geographical Filipino organizations in the UK as well as Embassy personnel and youth groups joined the parade. The WOW Philippines taxi promotion and the Igorot Association UK with their native costumes were two of the main attractions at the parade. After the parade, a cultural show featuring local Filipino talents and the Miss Little Philippines contest, followed. Mr. and Mrs. Catapang crowned the winner of the pageant. The afternoon rain did not stop the crowd from taking a glimpse of Filipino artists Regine Velasquez, Epi Quizon. and Nyoy Volante. The Hounslow Barrio Fiesta is a project of the Philippine Centre, an umbrella organization of more than twenty Filipino organizations in the UK dedicated to promoting Filipino culture through barrio fiestas and other cultural activities. - GMANews.TV