City’s Filipino community put on big festival (From Worcester News)
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City’s Filipino community put on big festival
5:20pm Saturday 28th July 2012 in News
tradition: Filipino children take part in the Santa Cruz procession.
THE Filipino community came together in Worcester for a dazzling summer festival.
Barrio Fiesta took place at Perdiswell playing fields over the weekend, a two-day programme featuring live music, stalls, games, a bouncy castle, poetry, cultural displays and oriental cuisine.
The event also saw a traditional church service take place in the open air followed by a ‘Santa Cruz’ procession involving children.
It was drawn up to mimic traditional village festivals which take place all over the Philippines every year.
Mary Padilla, from Worcestershire Filipino International Community (WFIC), which organised it, said: “We’ve been doing these festivals in other parts of the country but this is the first one in Worcester.
“They tend to be held in London a lot but there is a Filipino community in Worcestershire and Hereford, and in Bristol too so we thought we’d try it. A lot of work has gone into it.”
The Mayor of Worcester Councillor Roger Berry was also invited to go along and watch the procession.
During the church service, by Father Edgar Dizon, he told the community to be proud of their roots.
The WFIC was set up in 2003. For more details visit wficuk.org.
