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‘Pistang Pinoy’ celebrates 125 years of PH independence
Some members and volunteers of the United Filipino Organization pose for a photo during the Pistang Pinoy celebration of the 125th Philippine Independence Day on Sunday at the Marianas Business Plaza. (LEIGH GASES)
Event goers flock to the food vendors and air-soft shooting booth manned by the Saipan Tactical Airsoft Group or STAG yesterday during the Pistang Pinoy celebration of the 125th Philippine Independence Day on Sunday at the Marianas Business Plaza. (LEIGH GASES)
People are seen watching the entertainment of the Pistang Pinoy celebration of the 125th Philippine Independence Day on Sunday at the Marianas Business Plaza. (LEIGH GASES)
The CNMI’s Filipino community held a belated celebration of 125 years of Philippine independence last Sunday at the Marianas Business Plaza.
As it was also Father’s Day, families were seen out and about enjoying the food vendors and entertainment of the festivities. The whole-day event featured games, entertainment, food, raffle drawings, and a contest for Father & Son look alike, in celebration of Father’s Day.
There was also an air-soft shooting booth manned by the Saipan Tactical Airsoft Group or STAG.
United Filipino Organizations president Birhen Martinez said the occasion had a lot of vendors. “Right now, it’s lunch time so there’s not much people because they might be celebrating Father’s Day somewhere else, but we expect more people to come later in the day. Later in the day is also when the highlights of our events will happen.”
She added, “We Filipinos are in a foreign land. Most Filipinos here on Saipan don’t go home every year. So, we wanted to bring back Filipino culture here once a year. You get to meet a lot of Filipinos in the community that you don’t often see every day, so it’s a good gathering for the Filipino community and also for the other locals because we want to showcase the Filipino culture.”
This year’s theme for Philippine Independence Day, which was last June 12, is “Kalayaan, Kasaysayan, at Kinabukasan” (“Freedom, History, and Future”).
The traditional Philippine flagraising was held last June 12 and was attended by members of the Filipino community, Philippine Consul to Guam Ferdinand P. Flores, Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, and Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang at the Marianas High School Gymnasium.
RNV Construction, IT&E and Tan Siu Lin Foundation are Pistang Pinoy 2023’s main sponsors. UFO also thanked the Marianas Business Plaza for their support and use of their venue.
