Taste of Manila 2016, Aug. 20-21

Taste of Manila 2016, Aug. 20-21

Taste of Manila 2015
(File photo by Ariel Ramos)

TORONTO–The big stage is set for this year’s edition of Taste of Manila, the Filipino community’s spectacular street festival, organizers announced last week.

The event scheduled on the weekend of Aug. 20-21 will take place at its “home” in the past two years, Bathurst and Wilson Ave., North York, now popularly called Little Manila.

Taste of Manila (ToM) 2016, like the past two ToMs, is under the auspices of the Philippine Cultural Community Centre (PCCC) headed by Rolando ‘Rolly’ Mangante.

ToM has grown into the biggest Filipino street festival in North America, attracting last year a record 200,000 people from across Canada and the United States.

When it started in 2014, organizers were optimistic at having 5,000 people. In reality, however, an estimated 75,000 people came. In 2015, the number was expected to double. But more joined the two-day revelry, surpassing expectations, as 200,000 people celebrated.

Mangante said he was confident this year’s ToM would draw in huge crowds bigger than the previous years as more vendors and sponsors want to be part of the largest community gathering of Filipinos in Canada and in U.S.

PCCC is also proud to announce its partnership with ANCOP (Answering the Cry of the Poor) as the festival’s 2016 charitable organization of choice. ToM will endeavour to support its cause starting with the annual ANCOP Walk which will be a major attraction during the traditional community parade on Bathurst St.

At present, sponsors and vendors have been signing up from the Philippines, USA and Canada.

The Taste of Manila is brought to you by PCCC in partnerships with ABS-CBN TFC (The Filipino Channel) and Ayala Land Inc. with the cooperation of the City of Toronto, Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), Toronto Police, Office of Councillor James Pasternak (Ward 10), the Philippine Embassy-Ottawa and the Philippine Consulate General-Toronto.

(PRESS RELEASE)