DALY CITY, CA, August 22, 2017 – It was 50 years ago, when San Francisco witnessed the cultural celebration dubbed as the Summer of Love. This phenomenon is currently being celebrated around the City by the Bay. According to SFTravel.com, “Throughout 2017, San Francisco will revel in an exhilarating celebration of the most iconic cultural event in its history: the Summer of Love.” The website that provides information for travelers to San Francisco further adds that “nearly 100,00 free-spirited adventurers congregated in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood near Golden Gate Park to join a cultural revolution that created some of the era’s most memorable music, art, fashion and literature.”
This year, TFC has been celebrating its own summer of love through various fiesta celebrations around the world. Thousands have flocked to the different venues – whether in outdoor gardens or plazas, or indoor malls or auditoriums – in Asia, Middle East and North America.
As the sizzle of summer slowly surrenders to give way to the cool breeze of autumn, which is just around the corner, TFC culminates its colorful roundup of Philippine Independence Day celebrations and Sama Saya Kapamilya fiestas with a jam-packed crowd at the Yerba Buena Gardens swinging to heartthrob Sam Milby’s cover of Maroon 5’s “This Love,” and rising star Inigo Pascual’s “Dahil Sa’Yo.” The TFC Hour, emceed by Adobo Nation Host Ginger Conejero and Poca Rafael, was the climax to the two-day event of the Annual Pistahan Parade and Festival, which is tagged as the largest celebration of Filipino Americans in the U.S. It was a rocking afternoon of fun and games, songs and dances as the performers bantered and engaged with the energetic crowd.
A Double Celebration for Canada
The Filipino Canadian community celebrated two special occasions: the 119th Anniversary of Philippine Independence, and the 150th Birthday of Canada. It was also a back-to-back celebration, starting with The Philippine Festival Mississauga at the Mississauga Celebration Square, followed by the Pista ng Bayan at the Memorial South Park in Vancouver, B.C. For both days, Kapamilya heartthrob Matteo Guidicelli was the featured celebrity.
A Lookback at how Kapamilya in Middle East celebrated Philippine Independence Day
The Filipino communities in various countries in the Middle East celebrated Philippine Independence Day with back-to-back performances by the King of OPM Theme Songs Erik Santos and impressive Birit Queen Klarisse De Guzman.
Santos wowed the crowd at the BKS Club in Manama, Bahrain; at Al Falaj’s Hotel in Oman; and at the Philippine Consulate Office in Jeddah. While De Guzman performed to a very appreciative crowd at the Khalidiya Mall in Abu Dhabi. The events were co-presented by TFC and OSN.
The four Philippine Independence Day celebrations around Middle East also served as the launch of Global Tawag ng Tanghalan sa It’s Showtime. Hopeful ‘kababayans’ gave the performances of their lives as they participated in the on-ground auditions.
Asia Pacific Celebrates Philippine Independence Day
Kapamilyas in the Asia Pacific region also lined-up their own festivities to honor and celebrate Philippine Independence Day in Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
Stars of the hit teleserye “The Better Half” Shaina Magdayao and JC De Vera, together with funnyman Eric Nicolas, gave a high-energy show for the community at the KWC Fashion Mall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Kapamilya Fans’ Day was in partnership with the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
Taiwan kicked-off their celebration at the Yonghelubaoshi Riverside Park in Taipei with a Fun Run and a Zumbathon, followed by a concert with comedian Eric Nicolas and Soul Supreme KZ.
MOR 101.9 DJ Jhai Ho and multi-awarded singer Vina Morales kept the crowd on their feet at the SCAPE at the Orchard in Singapore.
Meanwhile, at the Edinburgh Place, Central, surrounded by the skyscrapers of
Hong Kong, the Filipino community grooved to the lively songs of the first winner of ABS-CBN’s reality show Pinoy Boyband Superstar – BoybandPH. The group is composed of Joao Constancia, Niel Murillo, Russell Reyes, Tristan Ramirez, and Ford Valencia. MOR 101.9 DJ Chacha showed off her hosting skills and her singing, too.
