PAGDIRIWANG PHILIPPINE FESTIVAL 2024
Recent news
Celebrate with the Stars!
GMA Pinoy TV, the first international Filipino lifestyle channel, in partnership with the Filipino Cultural Heritage Society of Washington, brings together two of its hottest talents to grace Pagdiriwang Festival 2013! Join award-winning actor Dennis Trillo and versatile actress Glaiza De Castro as they serenade the crowd on June 9 from 11am to 12:30pm at the Seattle Center Armory. Mark your calendars and celebrate with the stars only at Pagdiriwang!
Call for Teen and Adult Artists
Pagdiriwang Festival is proud to announce a call for teen and adult artists for on-the-spot sketching sessions at the Seattle Center Armory. Works done at the sessions will be part of the Pagdiriwang Art Exhibit (June 1-9, 2013) and will be displayed at Seattle Center Armory’s Sports Den. Two to three Filipina models in ethnic costumes will do long poses for three hours on June 1 and 2, 2013, from 1 to 5pm. We welcome artists who do graphite, pastel and other dry media works, as well as acrylic and oil paintings. Some slots are still available. Please contact Mr. Grandier Bella at: festalpagdiriwang@gmail.com.
Seattle's 27th Pagdiriwang Festival
JP Paredes March 2013
The 27th annual Philippine arts and cultural festival - Pagdiriwang 2013 - will be held at the Seattle Center, June 8-9, preceded by Bisperas, a soft opening of the art exhibit at The Armory, June 1-2, featuring on-the-spot sketching of models in ethnic costumes. Pagdiriwang is one of 22 cultural festivals under Seattle Center’s Festál Cultural Festivals program and presented by the Filipino Cultural Heritage Society of Washington (FCHSW). Events will highlight the theme “Philippines: One People, Diverse Cultures.”
Pagdiriwang - or celebration - commemorates the 115th anniversary of Philippine Independence by showcasing its people and their history, traditions, practices, arts – performing, visual, culinary, martial and other forms – and other elements that define culture. Traditional tribal dances and costumes from the northern Cordilleras and ethnic groups in the Visayas and Mindanao; fine arts; artifacts; basketry; textile weave designs and color patterns; distinct languages often erroneously referred to as dialects – are some examples of what make Filipino heritage unique yet diverse and rich.
This year’s festival will be dedicated to the memory of Madame Flori Montante who presided over FCHSW and coordinated the festival for the past 26 years. Moved by passion for arts and culture, she exerted her influence to make Pagdiriwang one of the pioneers of Festál and one of the largest among its 22 ethnic festivals.
In the spirit of bayanihan or community cooperation, and in tribute to Ms. Montante’s work, FCHSW partnered with other Filipino American organizations to produce Pagdiriwang 2013. The fiscal sponsor is the APO-ETAANA Foundation in collaboration with the Greater Washington Alpha Phi Omega (GWAPO). Major partners include the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS), Filipino Community of Seattle (FCS), Filipino American Community of South Puget Sound (FACSPS in Olympia), Filipino American Physicians of Washington (FAPWA), Beta Sigma Fraternity-Northwest, Filipino American Educators of Washington (FAEW), International Drop-In Center (IDIC), Filipino Performing Arts of Washington (FPAWS), Benguet, Ifugao, Bontoc, Apayao, Kalinga (BIBAK), Philippine Cultural & Educational Services (PCES), Pilipino American Youth Organization (PAYO in Tacoma), Filipino Veterans of Washington (FVW) in cooperation with the Filipino American Widows of Washington (FAWOW), Tagalog Circle, Pinoy Words Expressed Kultura Arts (PWEKA), Hufana Traditional Arnis International-Bellevue Martial Arts Academy (HTAI), Filipino Youth Activities (FYA), Hypin’ up Young Pinoy/Pinay Entertainers (SUMMER H.Y.P.E.), Filipino American Society Choir, Filipino American Association of Certified Public Accountants (FAACPA), Auxiliary Group of FAACPA, United Filipino Club of Seattle University, Rondalya ng Seattle, SAYAW of the University of Washington, Kalahi Dance Company, Family Academy of FCS, Filipiniana Dance Co., PNE Travel, and collaborating groups and sponsors. Local media supporters include the Filipino-American Bulletin, Filipino American Herald, One Philippines and Pinoy Reporter. Lead government agency is the Philippine Department of Tourism.
Bisperas is intended to create buzz ahead of the main event. The main festival includes: the grand opening, dances, ethnic fashion shows, bands, arts, crafts, martial arts, food and products booths, literary musical contest, children’s games and activities, the traditional mass at the Immaculate Conception Church, historical and informational exhibits, artistic culinary displays, sceneries and numerous events for everyone.
The three main festival venues at the Seattle Center are The Armory, the Mural Amphitheater and the Eve Alvord Theater. Developments by late March will determine the need for additional venues. Overall coordination and negotiations between festival producers and the Seattle Center is led by FCHSW President JP Paredes. He expects to add more participating organizations by April.