Press Release No. EBB-29-2019
Filcom in Jeddah makes history with first Saudi approved Filipino festival
Jeddah, 7 April 2019 – The Filipino Community in Jeddah made history on 6 April 2019 when they converged at Atallah Happy Land Park for the first-ever major outdoors Filipino festival to be approved by the Saudi government.
Dubbed as “Mabuhay Manila: Sama Saya sa Happy Land sa Jeddah,” the whole-day festivity 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 restaurants in Jeddah. Spearheaded by the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah, the food festival is in celebration of Filipino Food Month or Buwan ng Kalutong Pilipino.
Original Pilipino Music (OPM) were also played during the live performances by Filipino bands during the Rock and Jam concert, which aimed to promote original Filipino music and talents to Saudi Arabia.
In the evening of the same day, matinee idol and Filipino celebrity Piolo Pascual held a solo concert at Happy Land. 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 so as to diversify and enrich the country’s entertainment experience, which is among the pillars of the Kingdom’s vision 2030.
Consul General 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.
More than a thousand Filipinos and non-Filipinos trooped to Happy Land to take part in the historic and pioneering all-Filipino activities.
The all-Filipino festivity was made possible with the support of Atallah Happy Land Park and Filipino Community-based group Amore Familiare. -END-
Jeddah PCG-organized first Filipino Food Festival opens at the Atallah Happy Land Park on 6 April 2019 in celebration of Filipino Food Month
Members of the International Philippine School Jeddah Drum and Lyre Band add to the festive
Filipino atmosphere of the Filipino Food Festival in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Hundreds of Filipinos and non-Filipinos in attendance at the opening of the first-ever Filipino Food Festival in Jeddah witness the lively
performance of the IPSJ Drum and Lyre Band which is composed of Filipino students from the International Philippine School Jeddah
Jeddah PCG officials led by Consul General Edgar B. Badajos (4th from left), Consul Mary Jennifer Dingal (2nd from left),
and Vice-Consul Alfred Kristoffer Guiang (rightmost) meet with Mr. Piolo Pascual (3rd from left) before his concert at Atallah
Happy Land Park in Jeddah. Also in photo is celebrity Inigo Pascual (leftmost) and official of Atallah Happy Land Park (2nd from right).
Piolo Pascual serenading members of the Filipino who thronged to Attalah Happy Land Park for the day-long
festival, “Mabuhay Manila: Sama Saya sa Happy Land sa Jeddah” (credit goes to the owner of photo)
Consul General Edgar B. Badajos (rightmost) with Filipino celebrity Piolo Pascual (2nd from left), and General
Entertainment Authority (GEA) officials at the closing of Mr. Pascual’s concert in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
