Kalayaan 2008

Kalayaan 2008 - PE Abuja Independence Celebration.

Photo Credits: Anjofel Abrillo

Edited in Adobe Photoshop CS2. Original Photo from Filipino Community of Guam.

We barely have three more weeks to prepare for this year's Independence Celebration, but, we are currently facing one major obstable - we don't have funds! We have practiced for over a month now, and if the Department of Foreign Affairs can't forward the allotted budget for this event, we will have to accept that there won't be any cultural show to present.

After preparing for some major Philippine Cultural dances, why can't we push through even if we don't have funds?

Anyhow, this year we will be showcasing three cultural dances from north to south of the archipelago. We will start off with "SAYAW SA BANGA" - a dance of maidens balancing clay pots with water from the Igorot Tribe of the North. It will followed by a rural dance of the Visayas coined "GAWAY-GAWAY" - a dance patterned at harvesting root crops with an influence of Filipino tradition of courtship. Lastly, we dare not set aside the high brow land of Mindanao where the Muslim heritage is maintained intact. "SINGKIL" will be shown without a datu for there are fewer male performers than female.

After the cultural presentation showcase, we will have a break for sing and dance. Instead of remaining idle, we will showcase Philippine traditional dresses in a segment called "TERNO: PHILIPPINE TRADITIONAL DRESSES". All the Filipinos in Abuja will be wearing their most elegant traditional dress and walk gracefully on the aisle for all to see. (My hope is that, everybody participates in this segment, showcasing traditional dresses from the land of Cordillera region, to the farm lands of the Nayons, to Morolandia, and lastly the regale Terno of ladies.

Contemporary dances will be presented after the fashion show, starting with our rendition of "DAKILANG LAHI" by Ciarra Sotto to be sung by PE Abuja Staff and interpreted by selected young blood of the community. Our farewell dance is coined "PINOY RETRO" showcasing the Philippines during the 1960s-80s.

All photos will be posted in my multiply after the event. I just hope it pushes through. God help us on this endeavor.