Conceived as a celebration of culture, heritage, and everything else that makes the Philippines truly exceptional, THE FILIPINO FESTIVAL, led by EMPIRE PHILIPPINES, took place throughout the entire month of October with an exceptional turnout and an exciting showcase of beauty, talent, and artistry.
Jonas Gaffud, CEO and Founder of Empire Holdings Inc. (also known as Empire.PH), expresses his vision and rationale for the festival. “We want it to be an avenue to exhibit a range of captivating experiences that showcase the heart and soul of the Philippines,” says Gaffud. “We have everything from food, local products, music, fashion, film, and pageants, and there’s a lot in store for all the talented Filipinos to showcase what they’ve got,” he adds.
(EMPIRE CEO and Founder Jonas Gaffud with Hiraya Magazine Contributing Editor, Mike Talplacido)
The festival officially kicked off on October 6th at Estancia Mall in Ortigas. A ribbon-cutting ceremony, led by Jonas and the EMPIRE leadership team comprised of Voltaire Tayag, Paolo Arevalo, and Elgin Victoria Santos took place at the Ground Level of the mall where a pop-up bazaar area has been specifically constructed as part of and in celebration of the festival.
The food and local products exhibition featured a carefully curated selection of concessionaires that proudly represent the diverse flavors and artistic creations of the Philippines.
(Photo Credit: @thefilipinofestival)
Some of the local shops that were showcased included Kemans which is an Official Presenter of the Festival, Ever Bilena, Hello Glow, Fairy Skin, Avana Beauty Essentials, Choco Monkey, Smilee Apparel, Beauty Queen, Auro Chocolates, FIKA by Celine, and many others.
“We wanted to support and promote local businesses because the products that we have here in the Philippines are truly exceptional,” says Elgin Victoria Santos, head of Public Relations at Empire Philippines.
For most of the festival events, there was a competition component in which anyone can submit their entries for a chance to be featured. This included the MUSIC FESTIVAL where musicians and composers submitted their entries months prior to the actual start of the festival.
The actual MUSIC FESTIVAL showcase took place on October 5th at 12 Monkeys Bar in Ortigas, which featured Asia’s Soul Siren NINA and performances from bands like “I Belong to The Zoo,” and “Driven 2.0.” The top three MUSIC FESTIVAL finalists also had a chance to perform at the same event. These included “Dito Pa Rin Ako” by Daniel Temporada, “Higit Pa Sa Ganda” by Marie Angelica Dayao, and “My Superstar” by Edmund Perlas and C-Tru.
Marie Angelica Dayao’s “Higit Pa Sa Ganda” eventually won the top prize for the MUSIC FESTIVAL competition.
(Music Festival winner Marie Angelica Dayao *second from right* with performers Allen Cecilio, Adrian Crisanto, Marie Crisanto, and Rein Hillary)
“I feel honored to be part of the festival, especially that I get the chance to share a message that’s close to my heart. In winning the grand prize, I am relieved and justified with my decision to write a patriotic song, knowing this is rare in the pop song industry,” says Dayao.
Another event that took place is the FASHION FESTIVAL, which happened on October 12th. The Fashion Festival is a spectacle of style and creativity set to enthrall fashion enthusiasts in the Philippines and beyond. A fashion show took place where models graced the catwalk, showcasing the fusion of tradition and modernity in Filipino fashion.
Just like the MUSIC FESTIVAL, the FASHION FESTIVAL also featured a competition component where aspiring fashion designers submitted their entries prior to the actual start of the festival. The top three Fashion Festival finalists included Nathaniel Magsakay, Lyndon Dalida, and Sam Lim, and their work was celebrated and featured at the Fashion Show event.
(Photo Credit: @thefilipinofestival)
Lyndon Dalida eventually bagged the top prize for the Fashion Festival competition.
Then, on October 18th, the FILIPINO FESTIVAL continued with the “FILM FESTIVAL” component of the celebration, spearheaded by Rain Yamson as Festival Director. Ten short films were screened at the Estancia Cinema including “Ang Pagliligtas sa Dalagang Bukid,” “Golden Hour,” “See You George,” “Live Streaming Binge-watcher,” “A Confession,” “Tara, Takbo?,” “Tay, Padala,” “Taymsa,” “To Ken with Love,” and “S’ya.”
(The Top Ten Film Festival finalists)
The jurors for the FILM FESTIVAL included Actor and Kapuso Leading Man Benjamin Alves, Former Government Official and President of Fire and ICE Production, Mary Liza Dino, Filmmaker and Producer Martin Mayuga, and Producer and Owner of Oxin Films, Xion Lim.
Taymsa (or One Moment in English), from Director Alfonso Adian Cerna, took home the top prize for the FILM FESTIVAL competition.
Finally, the month-long FILIPINO FESTIVAL ended on October 24th with a spectacular FINALS NIGHT celebration featuring the coronation and culmination of both The Miss Philippines and Mister Pilipinas Worldwide pageants. Alethea Ambrosio from Bulacan won the title of The Miss Philippines, while Brandon Espiritu from Guam won the title for Mister Pilipinas Worldwide.
(The Miss Philippines and Mister Pilipinas Worldwide winners Alethea Ambrosio and Brandon Espiritu)
The much-awaited FINALS NIGHT was hosted by Andre Brouillette, Rabiya Mateo, Beatrice Luigi Gomez, and Annabelle McDonnell and it featured performances from Sam Concepcion, Fourth Nattawat Jirochtikul, SB19’s Josh Cullen and Gigi De Lana and the Gigi Vibes. Special guests included Miss Supranational Andrea Aguilar, Mr. International Kim Goodburn, Miss Asia Pacific International Chaiyenne Huisman, Ms. Supranational Philippines Johannes Rissler, and Miss Supranational 1st Runner-Up Pauline Amelinckx.
Overall, the inaugural month-long FILIPINO FESTIVAL was a tremendous success. “We wanted it to be a celebration that unites Filipino communities worldwide and I think we were able to accomplish that,” says Jonas Gaffud. The Filipino Festival is such a great reminder that in the heart of every Filipino, there’s an undeniable pride, and a remarkable heritage worth celebrating,” Gaffud adds.
For more info about THE FILIPINO FESTIVAL, please visit Empire Philippines’ YouTube page.
