Pan-Asian flair fills Filipino festival
12th annual gala provides Philippine fare, multi-ethnic entertainment for patrons
Erika Usui, staff writer
June 18, 2007

Photo by Joe Nguyen Members of the Mudra Dance Studio perform an Indian dance during the 12th annual Filipino Festival June 9 at the Filipino-American Community of Colorado Cultural Center.

EDGEWATER – More than 100 years since the Philippine Islands gained its independence from Spain, Filipino-Americans kept their traditions alive at the 12th annual Filipino Festival on June 9 at the Filipino-American Community of Colorado Cultural Center.

With song, dance, crafts and plenty of food, the festival was held in the parking lot of the building on 1900 Harlan St. Though the main purpose of the festival was to share the Philippine culture with the Denver community, it also allowed attendants to learn about many other cultures and ethnicities of Asia.

"As with most cultural festivals, the Filipino Festival is an affirmation of unity in our community," said Jerico Javier, a member of the FACC and festival emcee. "But it's not just Filipinos who come to our festival. People from all over the community come to see what we're all about because culture is not just about sharing food or song and dance within our own group, but about inviting everyone to come and join."

The Mano Po singers kicked off the festival with the singing of the Philippine national anthem, followed by opening remarks by Javier and FACC president Giselle Rushford. The festival then featured Philippine dances such as tinikling presented by the FACC performance group, as well as Indian and Hawaiian dances performed by other groups.

Also featured were the Championship Martial Artists and musicians such as Philippine rock band Tribong Pinoy, the Catur Eka Santi group performing Indonesian music, and Jenny Chen, a 12-year-old pi pa virtuoso. The pi pa is a stringed instrument from China.

While the menu consisted of a traditional Philippine dish of pansit noodles, adobo meat and lumpia rolls, booths featured crafts and services from various Asian countries. Participating booths included a Philippine catering service, Chinese jewelry shop, Peace Corp fundraiser, the Colorado Asian Health Education and Promotion, Mary Kay cosmetics and Kaiser Permanente.

The reason that so many various groups of people participate in the festival is that they all want to give back to the community as well as be a part of it, Tribong Pinoy lead singer Harry Mendiola said.

And one way that people were able to give back to the community was by participating in the health fair held by the CAHEP, as it builds a useful medical database for Colorado's Asian population, according to volunteer Seng Tha.

"Over time, the festival has become something on people's calendars," Javier said. "They remember to mark the second week of June because it's a time of building community, of building a home away from home."

Erika Usui is a staff writer for AsiaXpress.com. Erika can be contacted via e-mail at Erika.Usui@asiaxpress.com.