Flipino culture celebrated in the northeast
“It was exactly what I hoped for,” he said. “It certainly contributed to a cultural immersion for people who chose to attend and the inclusivity that we pride ourselves on.”
According to Behiel, this was one of the first events in Humboldt that was able to showcase the true aspects of Filipino culture.
“I recognized that this was a fantastic opportunity to recognize and welcome the new Filipino community to our city and let them know that they are part of the culture. Also, on the same note, help those who are already here learning about their culture and understanding the intricacies of where they come from, so that we can all blend in and exist together as one.
Humboldt hosted similar events like these, such as German Fest, which celebrated the city’s own heritage as a German colony. However, that’s mostly it.
Behiel hopes this will get the ball rolling and begin an expansion of cultural diversity and celebration.
“I know that the Ukrainian community is trying to be more visible and they have done a lot of things, but they have been sidelined a bit by the recent events in Ukraine. I would really like to see a multicultural base where everyone has a chance to showcase their stuff and where everyone can immerse themselves.
Chris Rod was the chief organizer of the festival, which started in Saskatoon last year.
Due to the great response to last year’s event, they decided to bring it to Humboldt this year.
“I think Filipinos would be in the top three of the biggest migrations here in Saskatchewan or Canada,” he said. “We are very lucky that our culture is still practiced and we just wanted to get out there and share it with the different communities there. It’s really an important part of us to be able to communicate and relate to different cultures.
Bryann Lopez, Loud Differences with Ian, Chris Rod and Kaycee, and Yssa Kapatid Band were just a handful of Filipino community and festival members involved.
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