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2011 Paskong Pinoy heads to the Paseo de Marianas
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Posted on Dec 03 2011
By Clarissa David
Reporter
Reporter
United Filipino Organization, the umbrella organization of some 30 Filipino groups in the CNMI, has found a new home for its annual Paskong Pinoy event.
UFO president Bong Malasarte said in an interview that the 2011 Paskong Pinoy will be held for the first time at the Paseo de Marianas in Garapan on Dec. 17, from 4pm to 10pm.
“We wanted to have a new venue for the annual Christmas event for Pinoys on island and so we thought of hosting it at Paseo de Marianas to showcase the rich Filipino culture and traditions not only for our kababayans and the rest of the community but also to the tourists,” he told Saipan Tribune.
Malasarte said the Paseo de Marianas has been the site of cultural celebrations of different ethnic groups in the community such as the Chinese and the Japanese, encouraging them to do the same.
He disclosed that one of the strong supporters of UFO, Tan Holdings, also invited them to have the Paskong Pinoy celebration at Paseo de Marianas, which attracts many tourists for its strategic location.
UFO adviser Olive Yana, a former president of the organizations, said this year’s event will feature the familiar cultural presentations of various Filipino performing groups as well as exciting competitions like the choral and individual singing contest, Christmas lantern contests, and other fun games for the children.
Yana, program co-chair for the 2011 celebration, is inviting individual and group performers, food and non-food vendors, and prospective sponsors to take part in this year’s Paskong Pinoy to “make the occasion more memorable and joyful” for Filipinos in the CNMI.
“We are encouraging the public, especially the Filipino community, to support Paskong Pinoy and show how proud we are of our heritage and to have an unforgettable Christmas celebration even though we’re miles away from our country,” added Malasarte.
For more information about the program, call Olive Yana at 285-7893; for interested vendors, call Paul Madriaga at 287-4501 or Annamae Adaza at 483-5237.
