Hawaii Flores de Mayo Festival to celebrate Filipino compassion, optimism
• Hawaii’s largest celebration of Filipino culture on 22nd year
• Week-long festival will have several events, new fiesta venue
HONOLULU — Hawaii’s largest celebration of Filipino culture enters its 22nd year with the expanded 2014 Flores de Mayo Festival.
The week-long cultural celebration will be held from May 3 through May 10, 2014 on Oahu at multiple locations and includes the annual Filipino Fiesta.
This year’s theme, “Isang Puso, Isang Diwa” (One Heart, One Spirit) showcases the “compassionate yet upbeat spirit that Filipinos celebrate life with,” according to the event’s organizers.
This year’s Flores de Mayo festival has two confirmed events:
Fil-Am Young Leaders Summit (FYLS)
Saturday, May 3, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Filipino Community (FilCom) Center
The Summit will bring young leaders together to discuss how to advance Filipino-American advocacies in similar communities across the nation. Scheduled to attend are Mr. Tony Olaes, a successful Filipino entrepreneur based in San Diego and U.S. Gawad Kalinga Chair and Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. There is a fee to attend this event.
22nd Annual Filipino Fiesta and Santacruzan
May 10, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Honolulu Municipal Grounds
The day-long, 22nd Annual Filipino Fiesta and Parade this year will be held at the Honolulu Municipal Grounds. The fiesta will provide a multi-faceted Filipino cultural experience that includes traditional Filipino food, games, cultural exhibits and live entertainment. There is no fee for attendance.
A third event, a Philippines-Hawaii Business Economic Forum is being planned.
The annual Filipino Fiesta began 22 years ago when L & L Drive-Inn founder Eddie Flores initiated the celebration as part of the awareness campaign to garner support for the building of the FilCom Center.
It has since become Hawaii’s largest showcase of Filipino culture with an annual attendance of more than 10,000 people. Last year was the first time the annual celebration of Filipino culture was expanded to a multi-event festival.
The FilCom Center is a non-profit organization that provides cultural, social and educational services to Hawaii’s Filipinos as well as the community at large. It is the largest center of its kind in the country. For more information and to participate in the Flores De Mayo events, please visit www.filcom.org or call (808) 680-0451.
