The 4th Passport to the Philippines took place June 9, 11 and 12 at
the Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier, the city’s largest tourist
attraction in downtown Chicago. Annually, this event is held the
second weekend of June to celebrate Philippine Independence Day on
June 12.
Cooperative weather, high spirits and the event’s growing awareness,
all led to high attendance during the three-day cultural showcase. More than 5,000 people came across the showcase, which is held in the Grand Ballroom of the Children's Museum.
While Thursday evening’s festivities served as an opening night with a
special ceremony, the highest turnout is always Saturday. That's when
a Parade of Costumes take place outdoors at Navy Pier, compelling
passerbys and tourists to take pictures and wave at the sea of young
and old Pilipinos wearing barong tagalogs, Maria Clara gowns, and Igorot
costumes, or simply holding the Philippine flag.
Similar to Saturday, the final day, Sunday, is also filled with
activities, food (namely a healthier version of the shaved ice and
tropical fruit dessert, halo-halo), and cultural performances of music
and dance from toddlers and teens, to mom, dads and grandparents.
The event is part of the Chicago Children’s Museum’s "Passport to the
World" series celebrating the diverse cultures of Chicago. Previous
"Passport to the World" exhibits showcased Chicago's Korean, Persian
and American Indian communities. The Philippines has been chosen four
years in a row for its large presence of Pilipinos in Chicago, and for
the rich history and contributions the Pilipino community has made
here.
But if you missed this year’s events, P2P as it is called for short,
is coming back -- July 23 and 24, this time to Millennium Park in downtown Chicago! Organizer Ruben Salazar says to expect a similar format, but just outdoors. Click here to get the schedule of this Family Fun Festival.
Passport to the Philippines Committee is co-sponsored by PepsiCo Asian
Network (PAN), Filipino American Community Health Initiative of
Chicago (FACHIC), Filipino American Historical Society of Chicago
(FAHSC), Filipino American Network (FAN), National Association of
Filipino Americans Associations (NAFFAA), Philippine American Cultural
Foundation (PACF), and the University of the Philippines Alumni
Association of Greater Chicago (UPAAGC) and TUY Club USA.
*Special Thanks to Ruben Salazar for accommodating BakitWhy.com’s
Midwest Team. Congrats on another successful year!
