7 June 2013 – The Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur said today that this year’s commemoration of the 115^th Anniversary of the Declaration of Philippine Independence will feature a Filipino-Malaysian community parade along major streets in Kuala Lumpur and a festive cultural show at the Embassy grounds.

The parade, which is organized by the Federation of Filipino Associations in Malaysia (FFAM), is expected to draw in some 1,500 participants and will have ten floats. It will traverse Kuala Lumpur’s premiere commercial centers along Jalan Bukit Bintang.

Kuala Lumpur joins cities such as New York and San Francisco which have Filipino community parades to commemorate the anniversary of Philippine Independence.

“We are excited to have the Filipino-Malaysian parade and cultural presentation on Sunday, as it will add color and splendor, with a Filipino touch, to the streets of Kuala Lumpur. These festive events are manifestations of the strengthened unity of the Filipino communities in Malaysia, as well as of the vibrant partnership between Malaysia and the Philippines,” Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia J. Eduardo Malaya said.

Sunday’s events are part of a series of activities commemorating Philippine independence, which included art exhibit featuring Mindanao-based artists at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center last May 6, a full-length performance of the highly acclaimed University of the Philippines Concert Chorus at the Universiti Malaysia Sabah in Kota Kinabalu last June 4, which was graced by the presence of Toh Puan Norlida RM Jasni, the spouse of the Governor of Sabah, and a National Day reception on June 10.

Embassy’s Labor Attaché Dr. Alicia Santos, together with the FFAM, headed by Johor Overseas Filipino Association chairperson Ricardo Limson, spearheads the preparations for the Independence Day community parade and program. 

The parade will commence near the Embassy grounds at Jalan Kia Peng and then turn left to Jalan Raja Chulan across the Pavilion Shopping Complex, and right to Jalan Bukit Bintang, then right again to Jalan Sultan Ismail.  It will turn right to Jalan Raja Chulan, then left to Jalan Perak to Jalan Pinang and finally to Jalan Kia Peng.

The “Fiesta sa Embahada” (Fiesta at the Embassy) program will follow after the parade, where a fiesta atmosphere will pervade the Chancery grounds, featuring Filipino food, games, music and a program showcasing the talents of Filipino community members.  Manila-based singer and artist Mark Bautista is expected to perform.

Corporate sponsors for the events include Pag-ibig Fund, BDO Bank, Cebuana Lhullier remittance center, LBC Cargo, MoneyGram, UAE and Western Union.

The National Reception on June 10 at the newly renovated Chancery is expected to be attended by members of the diplomatic corps, senior Malaysian government officials, business leaders and members of the Filipino community. The event’s musical presentation will feature Manila-based pianist Najib Ismail and soprano Camille Molina and locally-based Filipino artists. 

Foods and drinks will be catered by Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral Hotel, while ZestAir also provided generous assistance to the event.  END