6/10/11

113th Philippine Independence Day


It takes one important event in the history of the Philippines to gather thousands of Fil-Ams. Take note: this gathering wasn't in Edsa, this was in Madison Street. On a mildly warm Saturday afternoon in New York City last week, the 113th Philippine Independence Day was successfully commemorated. Led by Philippine Vice-President Jejomar Binay, so many Pinoys - coming from as far north as Canada and as far south as Maryland  - came to be a part of this yearly cultural event, now considered the largest Independence Day celebration outside of Manila.

After the long parade in Madison Street trickled down to its last participants, the mass of people packed the smoky street fair (thanks to all those barbecue stands), with a mostly Pinoy crowd spilling into Madison Square Park for an impromptu picnic. Even curious Caucasian foodies came to sample kwek-kwek and halo-halo and pancit. There was a cultural presentation onstage but the crowd situation was just too much for me and my friends. We left early but nonetheless feeling happy and proud of our culture and heritage. 

There are surely thousands of other Pinoys all over the planet feeling the same way as we do. While some people  mistakenly dissed overseas Pinoys as unpatriotic, I always believe patriotism is not measured in distance. It doesn't even take a June 12 to remind me where I came from. Everyday I see, I smell, I taste, I touch, I hear Filipino. It's absolutely true - you can always take the Filipino out of the Philippines but never the Philippines out of the Filipino!

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

13 comments:

  1. Sayang! Nandito pa ako sa Manila. Sa Friday June 17 to Sunday June 19 pa ako nandiyan. Tsk tsk tsk. I think the Coney Island Mermaid Parade is a distant second...

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  2. inggit naman ako sa yo every year you put out a post about this celebration. every year as well i vow to find out about the celebration in san fran and participate, but i never do.

    may artista pa. i recognize echo, but who's the girl.

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  3. Hi Nomadic! With the long weekend here in Lisbon (four days off...), I finally manage to stroll around Blogosphere...
    Tha last tima I was in Manhattan it was Philippines' Day...
    Blogtrotter Two is waiting for you in Corsica... Enjoy and have a splendid week ahead!!

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  4. amazing as you always feature it here. it's really heart warming to see filipinos come out and show what we have.

    even great to see foreigners try out our local food and appreciate our culture.

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  5. Wow.....such a heart warming to see filipinos comes out to celbrate in NYC...to let the world see...I'm a filipino and proud to be pinoy!

    One hundred thirteen years of freedom. Viva Las Islas Filipinas!

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  6. Nice photo shot, thanks for sharing.

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  7. my friend also posted some photos about this. im surprised he attends this annually, pero nung nasa Pinas pa sya deadma naman.. hehe

    btw, I heard Dinagyang dancers are invited to perform in NYC. mga Aklanon pala ang sumayaw jan..

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  8. Jeruen,
    Meron pa naman next year :)Since you will be in NYC, I hope you check out the High Line Park dahil bukas na yung section 2.

    Photo Cache,
    Pinoys are fortunate to have this yearly event and I try not to miss this, well at least for the last 3 years! The girl next to Jericho is singer/actress Karylle Padilla - daughter of Zsa Zsa.

    Trotter,
    Hope you did try out some Pinoy food when you came across the parade! And hopefully, you find yourself visiting the Philippines soon :)

    dong ho,
    I never get tired featuring this special event for Pinoys. Am very well aware and very proud of my heritage & culture!

    SunnyToast,
    113 years may not seem much compared to other older countries but it's worth reflecting on the blessings of independence the Philippines has gained.

    sewa mobil,
    thanks for dropping by!

    Chyng,
    Me too, I was expecting Dinagyang performers from the Philippines but they were obviously Aklanon group based in the US. I still give these performers a thumbs up for effort!

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  9. wowmeron din palang celebration niyan jan..Good for Pinoys out there at least they can feel closer to home.,Phil)Tsaka noticeable din yung boxing gloves naging Pinoy emblem na talaga..nice post..

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  10. Looks like a very successful event! My gosh, ang cute ng keychain na boxing glove!

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  11. Anonymous7:08:00 AM

    i'm not sure what happened to my comment posted here yesterday; anyway, i remember your post (or similar one) last year and you outdid yourself! ang husay ulit ng kuha mo!

    but i can't understand karylle's dress.

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  12. Mabuhay! Sana hindi makuha ng China ang Spratlys.

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  13. johntugano,
    oo naman, sa dami ba ng Pinoy dito. thanks for the visit!

    Pinay Travel Junkie,
    people bought them!

    docgelo,
    it's her designer's modern take on the terno, that's how i see it Doc.

    Z Joya,
    ewan ko na lang with our vintage warships hahaha!

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