A worldwide fiesta with GMA Pinoy TV

Betong Sumaya and Tom Rodriguez kept the Pinoy Fiesta and Trade Show sa Toronto crowd wanting more (Contributed photo)

Thousands of Filipinos overseas felt right at home as GMA Pinoy TV kicked off a month-long celebration of the 118th Philippine Independence Day in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, the United States of America, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Bannered by some of GMA’s brightest stars, the series of events was as vibrant and colorful as our nation’s history, and exuded a truly festive Filipino atmosphere – full of entertainment, laughter, food, and a sense of community. GMA Pinoy TV, along with GMA’s other international channels GMA Life TV and GMA News TV International, served as exclusive media sponsors of the events abroad.

Fittingly, Kapuso star and 2013 Miss World Megan Young kick started the worldwide festivities with “Kalayaan sa Kuwait,” organized by Filcom, a group composed of various Filipino organizations in the country, along with the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait last May 29.

Filipinos who came to the Qadsia Sports Club in Hawally, Kuwait warmly welcomed Megan as she entertained the crowd with musical numbers and met with Kapuso fans at the end of the show. The Conan My Beautician lead actress was also able to tour the city before paying a courtesy visit to the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office.

The regal Kapuso beauty then flew to California where her presence drew one of the largest crowds ever in the history of the Philippine Independence Day celebration in Carson City. After her performance held in Veterans Park on June 11, Megan was bestowed with various awards and commendations by the California Senate, the City of Los Angeles, the City of Carson, and the Philippine Independence Day Foundation of Carson, which organized the event.

Over in the United Arab Emirates, Kapuso Premier Actress Lovi Poe bannered the “118th Philippine Independence Day in Dubai” at the spacious Dubai World Trade Center last June 3, spearheaded by the Philippine Independence Day Celebration Organizing Committee and the Philippine Consular Office in Dubai.

For Lovi, who had just come from a vacation to various parts of Europe at the time, the event was as much a homecoming for her as it was for her kababayans as the Filipino community in Dubai gathered to celebrate their rich heritage. While in the city, Lovi also spent time with overseas Filipino workers during her courtesy visit to the Philippine Consular Office and met with local Filipino media.

Meanwhile, stunning Kapuso actress Andrea Torres was in Doha for “Kalinangan 2016” organized by the United Filipino Organizations Qatar, in partnership with the Philippine Embassy in Qatar.

With her congenial personality and warmth, Andrea won over her fellow Filipinos during a courtesy visit to the Consulate Office, as well as the crowd who came to see her performance at the Sheraton Hotel.

Continuing the celebration over in Canada, the wacky pairing of Kapuso leading man Tom Rodriguez and amazing actor-comedian Betong Sumaya kept audiences amused at the “Pinoy Fiesta and Trade Show in Toronto” organized by the Philippine Canadian Charitable Foundation, last June 18.

The Metro Toronto Convention Centre was filled to capacity with Filipino-Canadians, among them noted local dignitaries of the Canadian government, as Tom and Betong took to the stage for their rousing performances.

GMA Pinoy TV’s Philippine Independence Day celebrations closed with the “Birmingham-Sandwell-West Midlands Fiesta Celebrations” in the United Kingdom featuring Kapuso Primetime King Dingdong Dantes, and presented by the non-profit community group, the Birmingham Filipino-British Community Volunteers last July 3.

Over 5,000 people gathered at the biggest Filipino fiesta celebration in the West Midlands, which took place at the scenic Lightwoods Park, with the crowd enthusiastically cheering during Dingdong’s performance. In the days leading to the event, the actor, who will play a special role in the upcoming retelling of the fantasy series Encantadia, also took some time away from the television cameras to pay a visit to the Philippine Embassy in the UK, to tour London’s iconic landmarks and to meet with his fellow Filipinos in the country.

“These events across the globe are truly a festive and heartwarming reminder of what it is to be a Filipino to those who are far away from home,” says GMA First Vice President and Head of International Operations Joseph T. Francia. “As the global Filipino community continues to expand, GMA Pinoy TV will also continue to reach more of our kababayans abroad, wherever they may be in the world.”

For further details on the international events sponsored by GMA Pinoy TV, follow GMA Pinoy TV on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GMAPinoyTV, and on Twitter and Instagram via the handle @GMAPinoyTV. For more information on how to subscribe to GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV, and GMA News TV International, go to www.gmapinoytv.com.