Products, food, gowns are among items on display
By Charmaine Y. Rodriguez
The Philippines Pavilion won the Best Dressed Pavilion among 50 different nations’ pavilions at the recent Surrey Fusion Festival.
The Philippines Pavilion’s dominant theme this year featured Muslim creations including malong table covers, beautifully decorated umbrellas, and decorative fabric wall lining, according to a media release by the Surrey Philippine Independence Day Society (SPIDS). SPIDS is the ethno-cultural organization responsible for the Philippines Pavilion
Arts partner, Hablon Styles & Hues, displayed authentic traditional products including purses, footwear and accessories, which provided great aesthetics to the booth.
Food partner, Kumare, provided a taste of Filipino dishes and beverages – sisig, pancit, lumpia, gulaman at sago – to draw food lovers to the exhibit.
Also on display were Filipino traditional gowns by Surrey local designer Genette Mujar.
The pavilion had Welcome Ambassadors and Ambassadresses wearing traditional Filipino/Muslim-inspired clothing who ensured that there were interactive activities in the booth including playing Sungka or a game of skill in calculation, and photo booths that brought the exhibit to the next level.
Pavilion visitors were also entertained with musical presentations that featured bamboo instruments. To encourage interaction, guests got a chance to try playing the instruments.
On the second day of the festival, there were famous Ilocano cultural dances to entertain the pavilion-goers.
A giant Philippine flag was on display in the middle wall of the Pavilion where posters of the Philippines’ best tourists attractions were on display.
There were also “banga” (clay pots) from the Ifugao province in the Philippines, popular Philippine sites brochures, traditional table games, and maps of the Philippines’ 7,100 islands.
A combination of artificial and fresh flowers and plants in the country’s flag colors of blue, red, yellow and white also adorned the entire pavilion.