MHC showcases the best of RP at 44th Smithsonian Folklife Festival

WASHINGTON D.C. July 15 (PNA) -- After 15 years of absence, Filipino-American cultures took centerstage at the National Mall during the 44th Smithsonian Folklife Festival, considered the biggest Folklife festival in the US Capital.

Opening salvo for Fil-Am community participation was the Fil-Am Heritage night on June 25, 2010 at the Asian Fusion Stage spearheaded by Migrant Heritage Commission’s (MHC) Fil-Am Dance Ensemble and the Northern Virginia Rondalla Group.

Recognizing the importance of the event, MHC invited various multi-talented Fil-Am cultural groups in showcasing the best of Filipino cultures and these were BIMAK DC, Ron Curameng’s YOYO Inc. Hulala, Filipino Educators in MD (Baltimore), the Fil-Am Ministry of All Saints Church Manassas VA and the AJNIN Precizion (hip hop).

The featured musical group, the Northern Virginia Rondalla Group did a wide range of impressive Philippine musical pieces under its musical directors Timothy and Mandy Paredes and its coordinator Sally Paredes. The group also played the famous ‘Mabuhay’ music.

The featured dance group, MHC’s Fil-Am Heritage Dance Ensemble, under the artistic direction of Philippine Embassy’s former Cultural Officer/Attache’ and currently MHC’s Co-Executive Director, Ms. Grace Valera-Jaramillo, presented among other dances, the popular classic dance ‘Pangalay’ combined with Ultimate Eskrima’s Filipino Martial arts of stickfighting or Eskrima and an interesting fusion of rock and roll and traditional Tinikling to the music of ‘Sitsiritsit’.

The Dance Ensemble comprises versatile performing art talents from the MHC, Fil-Am Ministry of St. Michael in Silver Spring in Maryland, the Filipino Community of St. Rose of Lima in Gaithersburg, Ilocano Society of America’s Miss Teen Philippines-USA, the Filipino Community of the Blessed Sacrament in Washington D.C., Ultimate Eskrima International, PACP, Mabuhay Inc. and the Philippine Nurses Assn.

The MHC Cultural Resource Program has been a grantee of the DC Commission on the Arts since 2006 and part of its mission under said program is to increase visibility of the Philippines in mainstream cultural events.

In the spirit of bayanihan (solidarity), all of the groups worked together in presenting the best of the five Philippine cultural suites (Cordillera or Mountain Province, Spanish or Maria Clara, Barrio Fiesta, Tribal and the Southern Philippines/Muslim.)

A new segment was added as a finale and this was to show the sweet fusion of Filipino and American cultures and how young Fil-Ams have adapted to it.

Every dance showcased the Filipino's prowess in graceful balancing of things on their heads, be it claypots, lighted candle on the glass or balancing on top of bamboos or narrow bench.

The audience was even challenged to try their skills in gracefully hip-hopping in between the fast clicking of the bamboos.

The show also featured some ethnic-inspired costumes created by Mindanao’s Fashion Czar Alfonso Boy Ginoo and which were brought to DC for Philippine Embassy’s cultural event “Simbuyo 2010”.

The show was supported by PAFC and the Philippine Air Lines, Asia’s First Airline.

The Fil-Am Heritage night was also part of Migrant Heritage Commission’s celebration of the 104 years of Filipino Migration to the US and the 112th Anniversary of Philippine Independence.

Migrant Heritage Commission also participated in Filipino Cooking Demo in two different dates at the Tea house.

Lani Lizarda demonstrated lumpiang Shanghai (Philipppine mini spring rolls) and Rellenong bangus (stuffed milkfish) on June 27, 2010.

Atty. Arnedo Valera, Master Chef Evelyn and Oscar Bunoan did the Philippine’s popular dish ‘adobo” and the Philippine Saffron rice on July 4, 2010. Bunoan’s adobo was inspired by the late Atty. Elpidio Valera’s Ilocano version of adobo from Abra.

Other Fil-am participation in the 2010 Smithsonian Folklife Festival included storytelling by various key members of the Fil-Am community and the martial arts demonstration by one of MHC's cultural partners, the Ultimate Eskrima International.

The event started June 25 and ended July 4, 2010. (PNA)
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