- Barrio Fiesta Bayanihan Festival is an early Christmas celebrations for the overseas Filipinos in the UAE
- Five overseas Filipinos are awarded Dakilang Bayani (Noble Heroes) 2019 at the Bayanihan Festival
- These Noble Heroes highlight their advocacies and service to the community
Dubai: The overseas Filipino community, their family and friends will be in for a full-day treat during the Barrio Fiesta Bayanihan Festival (Bayanihan stands for spirit of cooperation or unity) on December 6, at Zabeel Park, Dubai.
It is an annual early Christmas celebration for overseas Filipinos in the UAE. This year’s motif Barrio Fiesta (Village Festival) is uniquely Pinoy. You’ll be able to savour authentic Filipino dishes such as Kakanin, Biko, Bibingka, Puto and Kutsinta (different rice cake flavours). They’re yummy! You’ll enjoy the Yugyugan (Hip Hop dance), contemporary dance, singing competitions and a lot of presentations from school children and fashion shows.
Filipino artists are flying in fresh from the Philippines just to entertain the crowd. Actor-singer Sam Milby, actress and screenwriter Bela Padilla and Filipina pop diva singer-songwriter Yeng Constantino will serenade the audience with their renditions of their original ‘Pilipino’ music such as Milby’s ‘Mahal Pa Rin’, ‘Hindi Kita Iiwan’ and ‘Tunay Na Pagibig’, and Constantino’s hits ‘Hawak Kamay’, ‘Ikaw’, ‘Salamat’ and many more.
Award for overseas Filipinos
One of the highlights of the Bayanihan Festival is the Dakilang Bayani Awards (Noble Heroes).
What are the Dakilang Bayani Awards?
It is the highest award given to an overseas Filipino by the Philippine Consulate.
The Bayani Awards is the Philippine Consulate of Dubai and the Northern Emirates’ way of giving meaningful recognition to the exceptional overseas Filipinos in Dubai and the Northern Emirates. Since 2016, in this yearly tradition by the consulate, five overseas Filipinos are selected for their outstanding and honourable contributions to the community. Over the years the awards have become popular and very prestigious. The thrust is to recognise transformative Filipinos and to make them an inspiration to other Filipinos.
How were they selected?
The panel of judges for the Dakilang Bayani Awards consist of honourable Paul Raymond Cortes, the Consul General of the Philippines in the UAE, Madame Yasmin Balajadia-Cortes, spouse of the Philippine Consul General, and Atty Felicitas Bay, Philippine Labor Attaché. A Filipino group, known as the Power of 5 consisting of Ben Lebig, Francis Medina, Dr Rommel Sergio, Dr Nino Decenorio, and Dr Rex Bacarra, conducted the initial screening of the nominees for Dakilang Bayani. From 47 nominees 21 were shortlisted, out of which 11 were further shortlisted. They went through rigorous questions by the panel of judges. Five emerged at the top.
These exceptional awardees have elevated the Filipino identity globally, considering their significant contributions and tireless efforts to foster goodwill not only within the Filipino community but also among the citizens of the world. They were selected based on the set criteria with Community Service as the highlight.
Dakilang Bayani awardees for 2019
1. Reynaldo Buenaflor Angulo, office employee in Dubai, is living in the UAE for 30 years.
2. Elena Cruz, Marketing and Sustainability Professional: VP – Head of Brand and CSR Emirates NBD, is living in Dubai. She has been in the UAE for more than 20 years.
3. Leo Barrameda, Manager, International Collector Programme at Art Dubai, living in the UAE for 11 years.
4. Captain Conrado Ramos Quizon, Air Force pilot, has been living in Dubai for 11 years.
5. Marjorie Nazaret, Principal, Al Alfiah Filipino Private School, living in Sharjah for 20 years.
Gulf News interviewed the five Filipino Noble Heroes to get their reaction upon winning and to know their advocacies and service to the community.
Reynaldo Buenaflor Angulo said: “The humbling feeling is amazing because my main aim in what I do is to share kindness and hope, and nothing more. I am happy that the extra miles that I did for other souls, from whom I never expected anything in return, did not go unnoticed.”
Advocacies to the community:
“Over the past years, I have done countless works of mercy to the needy, particularly towards the helpless patients at Rashid Hospital, the hopeful female detainees at Al Awir Central Jail, including the endless problems of the Filipino community in Satwa area, plus the repatriation and/or cremation of departed Kabayans [compatriot]. To the patients, I visit them literally every day, offer them hope and cheer, and arrange for their eventual repatriation and escorting them (if necessary) to the Philippines. To the female detainees, I serve as a bridge between them and the Philippine Consulate for their needs. And to the Filipino community in Satwa, I extend my best guidance with regard to their various challenges in life.”
What do you want your legacy to be?
The legacy that I want to be is the perpetuation of my hospital mission of kindness and hope. This will give me the feeling that my life in Dubai truly mattered.
His message of hope to those underprivileged people:
“To those underprivileged who feel that they have reached absolute darkness in life and that God is quite far away, they must resist the mighty pull of hopelessness. Because, when they keep God in their hearts, they have more than enough.”
My main aim in what I do is to share kindness and hope, and nothing more.
Elena Cruz said: Truly grateful for the opportunity to serve and lead. I am thankful to the Filipino community and to the bank where I work, for giving me the opportunity to lead and give back; and be a part of the bank’s strategic advocacies to create shared value with customers and partners.
Advocacies to the community:
I had the precious opportunity at the bank to lead the founding of a UN-award-winning corporate volunteering programme, Exchanger. It has over 4,000 active volunteers comprising of staff, friends and relatives, customers, and vendors and partners; and use this platform to help the Filipino community. Our Exchanger program has over 120,000 hours of community work to its credit and the winner of the UN Impact2030 Global Innovation Award for 2019. Most active members of this platform are Filipinos. I have also led the bank’s other strategic advocacies, like Financial Literacy and People with Disabilities.
What do you want your legacy to be?
Leave behind strong advocacies like the Financial Literacy and Advocating for People with Disabilities. It is made more precious by the fact that I have contributed this in a place I call home, the UAE, in collaboration with the government and NGOs.
I am thankful to the Filipino community and to the bank where I work, for giving me the opportunity to lead and give back
Leo Barrameda said: I am extremely grateful for the recognition and overwhelmed because I did not expect to be chosen. I’ve been doing years of community service and having this citation is a bonus.
Advocacies to the society:
In Dubai, I am one of the directors of Philippine Business Council – Dubai and Northern Emirates, a non-for-profit Filipino organisation recognised by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry. I am one of the key members behind various initiatives assisting Filipino entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners in the UAE.
In the Philippines, we adopted an indigenous community of Blaan from North Cotabato. We organised feeding programs, medical missions, partnered with cargo companies to send pre-loved items, and supported the education of the children and out-of-school youth in the area. Together with friends and project supporters, we provided assistance for the schooling of 250 plus Blaan students for this school year.
What do you want your legacy to be?
I want to be remembered as an overseas Filipino worker that even with limited resources, still able to inspire others and give back to the community through various partnerships from like-minded individuals, organisations, and some corporate companies.
His message of hope to those underprivileged people:
What I am today is a result of years of hard work, perseverance, and resilience. Life is a continuous process - strive more, tolerate differences, be motivated to achieve goals, and accept that things happen for a reason. Never stop moving forward, get the habit of learning new skills, and have faith. Destiny is preparing something great to those who are hopeful and take steps to make it happen.
I want to be remembered as an overseas Filipino worker that even with limited resources, still able to inspire others and give back to the community
Captain Conrado Ramos Quizon said: I have mixed emotions when I received the announcement by email. I guess I was born to serve the Filipino people, not only the overseas Filipinos but also our brothers and sisters from indigenous community from our motherland, the Philippines by providing them school supplies (B’laan Tribes in Mindanao) and continuous support to the House of Hope in Davao City, for those children afflicted with cancer.
My legacy is very simple… get out of your comfort zone and volunteer for the Filipino community anywhere in the world; do ordinary things in an extra-ordinary way and make a difference. Don’t lose hope to those underprivileged people, God is good, and he will not forsake us.
My legacy is very simple… get out of your comfort zone and volunteer for the Filipino community anywhere in the world
Marjorie Nazaret said: I am overjoyed by the recognition that was given to me, but at the same time I am humbled by the experience and the achievement. While I celebrate this milestone, I wish not to bask on it as I am aware of the added responsibility that comes with it. Instead, I intend to use it as a motivation to continue revolutionising Filipino education for our younger generation.
I wish to educate more minds not just in our region, but in our country as well. I am very much aware of the problems that we face as nation in terms of education and I intend to take action in whatever capacity I can.
My desire may not burn as bright a light, but I can be a spark. A spark that will light a fire in the heart of those who are under my care as an educator. With their hearts afire, I believe we can continue to make a difference in the lives of the younger generation.
What do you want your legacy to be?
I hope I leave a legacy of being an educator that strived to bring change and make a difference in the lives of the Filipinos in Dubai and the Northern Emirates. I would be happy if I would be known for that. Anything greater than that will just be a bonus.
I hope I leave a legacy of being an educator that strived to bring change and make a difference in the lives of the Filipinos
Her message of hope to those underprivileged people:
Do not stop learning, it is only when we stop learning that are defeated by whatever circumstances we are facing. As the famous saying goes, “it is not our fault that we are born poor, but it is our fault if we die poor.”
Our government has laid out programs to support individuals who desire to learn despite financial incapacity. Private institutions have also extended their support through various charity programs and scholarships to encourage an individual to pursue learning. There are countless ways to study and all that they have to do is to ‘want’ to study. Our education will bring us opportunities beyond what we can think of. Let us not limit ourselves just because we do not have the means. Remember, our desire far outweighs our means.
Gates open at 10am for Barrio Fiesta Bayanihan Festival 2019 at Zabeel Park Dubai. Ticket prices start at Dh35.
