3-day Philippine Independence Day celebrations in Qatar from June 20

The much-anticipated community celebration of the 126th Philippine Independence Day (PID) anniversary in Qatar will be held from June 20 to 22 at the Ezdan Palace Hotel in Duhail.

Under the theme ‘Makulay ang Kalayaan 2024’, the annual celebration will be highlighted by vibrant cultural presentations and competitions, trade fair exhibitions and a bazaar, authentic cuisine offerings, a motor show, and guest appearances by celebrities from the Philippines.

‘Makulay ang Kalayaan 2024’ will be jointly organised by the Oryx Knights Eagles Club (OKEC), in partnership with Creative Events Management & Services, OKEC Charter president Joseph Timothy Rivera announced at a press conference Monday.

Rivera, who is also chairman of the Filipino community organising committee, was joined by Kamila Bellamlih, Cluster Director of Creative Events & Kobeco Concept, and Juan Paolo Ferrer, chairman of the Filipino Association of Manpower Services (FAMS).

The organisers announced that pioneering programmes and unique activities are lined up “to make this year’s annual gathering truly meaningful.”

The celebrations will be highlighted by an opening gala dinner on June 20. The festivities will kick off with the launch of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, such as a special visit to children with cancer at the Hamad General Hospital, as well as community outreach programmes on skills enhancement of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) in Qatar, in partnership with FAMS.

Special programmes addressing the need for additional Filipino schools in Qatar will also be revealed during the event.

Attending guests and benefactors will be serenaded by lively musical renditions from select Filipino bands in Qatar, as well as ethnic and contemporary performances by students from the Philippine International School of Qatar (PISQ) and the Philippine School Doha (PSD), including the Middle East finalists to the upcoming Dance World Cup in Prague.

Highlights for the second day include a traditional community parade/sagala, followed by the opening ceremony to be attended by Philippine embassy officials, visiting VIPs, community leaders, and the general public. Philippine senator Loren Legarda will be attending the ceremonies virtually.

The full-day programme will include various performances and activities to be capped with the pageant finals of the ‘Ginoo at Binibning Agila ng Kalayaan’.

The winning contestant will further compete in the Miss Philippine Eagles 2024 pageant in Manila hosted by The Fraternal Order of Eagles – Philippines Eagles (TFOE-PE) with more than P1mn in cash prizes at stake.

This pageant is in support of the First 1,000 days of a child (F1KD), the organisers emphasised.

As many as 86 Doha-based Filipino organisations are expected to participate in the morning parade, according to Rivera, who expressed optimism that ‘Makulay ang Kalayaan 2024’ will surpass the attendance of last year’s PID celebration.