By JO HARRISON
Caption: A dancer balances heavy earthen pots on her heads during a performance of the The Igorot or Banga Dance at the Armidale Town Hall on Sunday night.
HUNDREDS of members of the New England North West Filipino community packed into the Armidale Town Hall on Sunday night for an evening of culture, fine food and celebration to mark the 115th year of Independence of the Philippines from Spanish rule.
The event was hosted by the Diocesan Desk for Migrants and Itinerant People (Diocese of Armidale) and the Filipino community of Armidale.
Festivities began with a Concelebrated Mass at Saints Mary and Joseph Cathedral followed by a dinner at the Town Hall and an evening of performances and presentations of Little Miss and Little Master Independence Day. On Monday breakfast was held in the Toregiani Room at the Cathedral.
Member of the Filipino community in Armidale Beth Laverinto-Madera said that every year in the region the Filipino community gather to celebrate Independence Day with Armidale given the honour to host this year’s event.
“Around 250 people have come from all across the region to be here in tonight,” Beth Laverinto-Madera said.
“This is the biggest event in our calendar each year and it is a great time to catch up with friends and family.
“Everyone pitches in, not just Armidale members, to help plan and organise this event.”
The Catholic Diocese of Armidale and in particular the Filipino Priests in the region play a huge role in the event each year.
“The priests every year coordinate and help us to create a great event which is a year in the making,” Beth said.
The highlight of the evening’s performances was the presentation of Filipino dances including the Tinikling Dance and the Igorot or Banga Dance.
The Tinikling Dance is a popular cultural dance in the Philippines that involves two people beating, tapping and sliding bamboo poles on the ground in coordination with one or two dancers.
“The Tinikling Dance is our national dance of which we are very proud of,” Beth said. “It is also a lot of fun and we enjoy performing it.”
The Igorot or Banga Dance (Banga literally means pots) is a dance from the mountain region around Baguio City which is the summer capital of the Philippines. Heavy earthen pots, as many. as seven or eight at a time, are balanced on the heads of women as they walk to the beat of the “gangsa” or wind chimes displaying their strength as they go about their daily task of fetching water and balancing the banga.
“We want to focus on the future generation to keep Filipino culture alive in this region,” Beth said.
“I am very proud of our culture; we love music and dance and we cook many different dishes which we love to share our passion for the Philippines with the Armidale community.”
More pictures, Page 12
