Mabuhay Festival 2005 schedule

Mabuhay Festival 2005 schedule

The Philippine Independence Day Council (“PIDC”), in cooperation with Rogers Wireless presents Mabuhay Philippines Toronto Summer Festival, the largest celebration of Philippine heritage and culture in Canada. For 2005, PIDC has partnered with several organizations to promote the multi-faceted contributions of Filipinos to the fabric of mainstream society.

On Sunday, August 14, 2005, PIDC along with the Grenadier Group presents “Sunnyside Sundays” at Sunnyside Park on Lakeshore Boulevard West. Scheduled in conjunction with the festival, the Philippine and Thai communities will be the featured nations for this multi-cultural weekly event. Doors open at noon with entertainment continuing till 6 pm. Performers for the event include CRO2, Shades of Brown, the Jam Band, Fiesta Filipina Dance Troupe and artists from Radio Insect Records. A day at the beach and non-stop entertainment is a great way to spend a summer afternoon.

The pinnacle of summer activities is of course the Mabuhay Philippines Toronto Summer Festival. Set to take place on Saturday, August 20th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Hall A, PIDC has planned a day-long event that offers something for everyone.

At the festival, The Philippine Chamber of Commerce will be holding its annual trade show displaying members’ products and services. This includes food vendors that offer delectable dishes and scrumptious desserts. Also, the Community Alliance for Social Justice (“CASJ”) will hold a presentation called “The Road to Empowerment Through Social Justice” in room 203C at 1:00 p.m.. Following CASJ, movie buffs can enjoy a screening of films by a Filipino director who has received countless international accolades, Maryo de los Reyes. Catch two of his multi-award winning films, “Magnifico” and “Naglalayag”.

The festival doors open at 11 am. Starting the day off with a bang is former Canadian Idol finalist, Mikey Bustos who will enthrall early morning spectators with songs from his newly released album. Other performers scheduled throughout the day include Czeska Sion, Kababaihang Rizalista, Bibak, Asian Flava, Ang Bisaya, Keith Javier, Lucy Bardoquin, Sean Cristobal, Chyrell Samson, Rodney Ronquillo, Darius Cyria, Jade Padua, Charles Stella, Kristine Cristobal, Ben Pascual, Berlane Gavino, Cristian Serrano, the ACS Stars, Christina Gonzalez, Jessie Aquino, Culture Philippines of Ontario, Fiesta Filipina Dance Troupe, Karl Esguerra and more. In addition, the winner of the Mabuhay Metro Pop Singing Competition will be chosen among six finalists namely Jessa Cee Luna, Charlene Marunda, Kathleen Awayan, Chris Bambao, Jessica Mesa and Ashley Galang.

Winners of the Mabuhay Cup Basketball Tournament will also be honoured during the festival. Congratulations to members of the Peel Halton Youth Basketball Association (“PHYBA”), winners of the Peewee Division, the North York Pinoy Athletic Association (“NYPAA), winners of the Bantam and Midget Division and the Filipino Athletic Club of Toronto (Fil-Act) for winning the Open Division.

Included in the festivities is a traditional Santacruzan parade featuring Ms. Philippines PIDC 2005 Joan dela Cruz along with Ms. Teen Philippines 2005 Aarthi Kalyan and other pageant title holders. Also, Joan and Aarthi, together with other young men and women, will be presented in a unique fashion show which synthesizes music with style.

The feature performer for this year’s festival is 2004 American Idol finalist Jasmine Trias. Jasmine has gone on to a spectacular career since leaving the show. The festival will serve as the official Canadian release of her self-titled debut album.

For more detailed information on all PIDC events, check the website at www.pidctoronto.com or call (416) 621-4985 or (416) 841-0854.

(PRESS RELEASE)