Jeddah – The Filipino Community in Jeddah made history on 6 April 2019 when they converged at Atallah Happy Land Park for the first-ever Filipino festival approved by the Saudi Arabia, entitled “Mabuhay Manila: Sama Saya sa Happy Land sa Jeddah”.
The whole-day festivity spearheaded by the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah, included the first-ever Filipino Food Festival, which showcased the rich and vibrant culinary experience and heritage of the Philippines through food exhibits and cooking demonstrations by top Filipino chefs in Jeddah.
More than a thousand Filipinos and non-Filipinos trooped to Happy Land to take part in the historic event, which was made possible with the support of Atallah Happy Land Park and Filipino Community based group Amore Familiare.
Original Pilipino music were also played during the live performances of Filipino bands during the Rock and Jam concert, which aimed to promote original Filipino music and talents to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Filipino celebrity Piolo Pascual also held a solo concert at the event. He thrilled the Filipino and non-Filipino audience with popular love songs.
This is the first time that a major Filipino concert was held publicly, with the approval by the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), the Saudi government agency tasked to oversee the entertainment initiatives in Saudi Arabia to diversify and enrich the country’s entertainment experience, which is among the pillars of the Kingdom’s vision 2030.
Consul General to Jeddah Edgar B. Badajos said that the all-Filipino set of activities is a testament to how Saudi Arabia is starting to open and develop its tourism and entertainment industry to the world.
Activities such as the Filipino Food Festival, Filipino rock band performances, and the Piolo Pascual concert are timely opportunities for the Philippines to promote Filipino cuisine, music, talent, and culture in Saudi Arabia.
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For more information, visit www.jeddahpcg.dfa.gov.ph or
https://www.facebook.com/PHLinJeddah/.
