The Paskong Pilipino Showcase will feature Christmas traditions in the Philippines including regional festivals, provincial cuisine and native handicrafts on December 18, 2004 until January 2, 2005 at WOW Philippines! Clamshell I, Intramuros, Manila.

The opening program last Saturday, December 18, at 3 p.m. presented the Kagharong and the Pastores Bikol of Malilipot and Oas, Albay, who are the grand prize winners of the Pastores Festival 2004.  Young performers, colorfully dressed in interpretative costumes, skip and gallop to an upbeat tune of the traditional “Vamos a Belen.”

The Pastores Bikol and Kagharong performed until December 20, 2004 with the Centro Baile de Laoag of the School of Peforming Arts in Ilocos Norte, Manila City Band and the Koro Bulakenyo of Bulacan, this year’s “Gintong Kabataan” awardee.  

Beginning December 20, other cultural performers during the two-week showcase will include:

• Niños Infantes of Cagayan Valley (Dec. 20-22 & 27-29)
• Panunuluyan of Central Luzon with firework exhibition (Dec. 23 & 26)
• Quezon City Performing Arts & Band (Dec.24)
• Higantes of Angono-Rizal (Dec. 25)
• Ramon Obusan Folkloric Dance Troupe (Dec. 30)
• Pinoy Rock Band through the Intramuros Administration (Dec.31 & Jan. 1) 
• the Three Kings of Mabitac, Laguna (Jan. 2). 

These festivals will be presented at the WOW Philippines! Clamshell 1, Intramuros, Manila at 3-4 p.m.

According to DOT’s Over-all Artistic Director, Ting de los Reyes, Paskong Pilipino Showcase was designed to complement the entertainment events of Paskong Pinoy, Pusong Pinoy at the Central Lagoon, Rizal Park and the Ayala Center in Cebu City.  It will offer visitors a wide array of Christmas-related activities as well as an assortment of quality toys, indigenous decors, native arts and crafts suitable as souvenirs and gifts for Christmas and other seasons. 

There will also be instructional crafts demonstrations by artists from Bicol, Metro Manila, Central Luzon among other regions.  The toys, gifts and food fair of Paskong Pilipino Showcase with the instructional crafts demonstrations are open everyday at 10 a.m., except on Mondays which starts 2 p.m. at the  Clamshell 1.


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Philippine Department of Tourism
447 Sutter Street, Ste. 507 San Francisco, CA 94108
Tel No. 415 9564060 Fax No. 415 9562093 Email-pdotsf@aol.com
http://www.wowphilippines.com.ph/