Advocate of Art & Culture

Behind Pagdiriwang's Success
by Ferdinand De Leon

Flori Montante seldom uses computers. She doesn't email regularly, she isn't linked in, and she most certainly doesn't twitter.

All she has is her telephone and her well-worn list of names and numbers, faded from frequent use and riddled with cross-outs and rewrites. Yet with those simple tools, along with her commanding personality and boundless energy, Auntie Flori (as she is known by her dedicated team of volunteers) makes things happen.

She has done so for 24 years, pulling together friends and contacts into service, to put on what has become the biggest annual celebration of Filipino culture in the Northwest: Pagdiriwang.

In 1987, Auntie Flori was part of a small group that started the Filipino Cultural Heritage Society of Washington with the goal of celebrating and showcasing Filipino culture. That year, they presented their first summer festival, one of the first ethnic groups to hold a cultural festival at the Seattle Center.

Today, Pagdiriwang is one of over twenty cultural festivals presented at the Seattle Center as part of Safeco Insurance Festal. Every year, the Pagdiriwang draws thousands of people from throughout the Puget Sound with an eclectic and varied mix of artistic and cultural offerings.

When it started, Pagdiriwang was largely focused on traditional songs and dances. Today, the festival also includes film screenings, an art exhibit, a culinary arts display, poetry readings, hip hop performances, a health fair, children's activities, and plenty of singing and dancing, traditional and otherwise.

Two years ago, in recognition of her years of service, the Ethnic Heritage Council presented Auntie Flori with the Aspasia Phoutrides Pulakis Award, given annually to an individual who has made significant contributions to the Northwest's ethnic community.
Today, after a lifetime of dedication to Filipino arts, she remains committed to the same goal. "I want everyone to see all that is beautiful about the Filipino culture," she said.
And every year, Auntie Flori strives to outdo all past festivals.

From her small dining room table, covered with programming notes and schedules and layouts, she makes sure all festival details are ironed out. With phone in hand, she cajoles, commands and coordinates until all the pieces fall in place. It's a process that can sometimes appear chaotic, but somehow it always comes together.

Even as work wraps up on this year's ambitious festival, she is already thinking ahead, planning an even grander 25th Anniversary of Pagdiriwang in 2011. There's a gleam in her eye when she talks about the extravaganza she has envisioned. Soon after this year's show is over, Auntie Flori will undoubtedly be back at her table, armed with her list of numbers. And as those fortunate enough to be on her list know, when Auntie Flori calls with a request or an assignment, it's practically impossible to say no.