PH parade on Madison Avenue

HALA BIRA! Iloilo City’s Tribu Panayanon, champions of the recent national Dinagyang Street Dancers competition, donned their colorful costumes and pumped up the beat on Madison Avenue in Manhattan for the Philippine parade on June 2. The parade’s overall Grand Marshal was Dr. Rebecca Castro Rivera. Photos by NOEL Y. CALINGASAN/NYClovesNYC.blogspot.com

Filipinos in New York City staged a Philippine Independence Day parade on Madison Avenue last June 2 that rivalled big homeland festivities—complete with Ati-atihan, Dinagyang and Maskara street dancers, marching bands, beauty queens on floats, movie stars and politicians.

NURSES AND BIG STARS Nurses hold high their banner in the parade

As Independence Day festivities go, the one in New York City led by the Philippine Independence Day Council took the cake in terms of pomp and celebrity. A street food fair also drew tens of thousands of Sunday participants and strollers.

Ceremonies no less fervent marking the 115th anniversary of the declaration of Philippine independence were also held in almost all capitals of the world where there are Philippine embassies and substantial Filipino overseas communities reside.

Filipino research scientist and ace photographer Noel Y. Calingasan took these snapshots of rising Filipino pride in New York.