Celebrating Home: Flores de Mayo celebrated in Taoyuan

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS. No matter where you are in the world, you can celebrate being Filipino, and you can celebrate the Philippines. And of course, Filipinos have never been known to hold back. In other words, our people have always been known for our spirit of fiesta.

This is exactly what Taoyuan in Taiwan is doing. The municipality is currently holding Flores de Mayo, a highly regarded Filipino festival, from May 4 to June 30.

The event is entitled “Philippine Festival Exhibition Flores De Mayo.” It is being held at the Taoyuan New Immigrants Culture Center, and everyone is invited. Guests of all ages and ethnicities are welcome to “explore a wealth of vibrant Filipino culture.”

Historically, Flores de Mayo has been celebrated in the Philippines as one of the May devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It typically goes on for a full month.

Filipino artistry continue to be on display

None other than Filipino artist Mario Subeldia was tasked to create costumes for the festival. Aside from the costumes, the event also consists of “multi-media mosaic paintings and interactive installations.”

On the other side of the world, more Filipino artists continue to shine.

For instance, in Italy, the Philippine Pavillion in the 2019 Venice Biennale is featuring artist Mark Justiniani. The event runs from May 11 to November 24. The theme of “Island Weather” dives into the various ways the Philippine archipelago can be understood and imagined.

Also, Veniceartfactory + Karuizawa New Art Museum will present “Diversity for Peace” as part of the biennial art event, at the Procuratie Vecchie in Piazza San Marco.

A melting pot of culture

Taoyuan’s immigrant population is at around 60,000, with 22,000 or over a third of the figure coming from neighboring countries in Southeast Asia. However, there are only 1,800 Filipino nationals listed.

In a speech, Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan proclaimed that he “has been impressed by the Filipinos.” The mayor described them as “so energetic and full of passion that they are almost natural-born singers and artists.”

via Asia Times / Asia Times Staff