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The Mabuhay Toronto
Summer Festival

By Khrysller Grace-Bosworth

As Toronto celebrates diversity this summer, The Filipino community shares its contribution with a no-no-run of the mill presentation of culture at the recently held Mabuhay Philippine Festival at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The whole day event was an awesome experience of Filipino Culture from the colourful ethnic costumes to the exotic zest of pinoys (slang for Filipinos). Significantly, this year, the organizers of the event (PIDC) pledged to support typhoon victims in the Philippines by donating proceeds of the show through a charitable organization to re-build houses damaged by the catastrophe.

The 600,000 square feet Metro Toronto Convention Centre was filled with colourful designs and displays of Philippine products. Entertainment galore, which includes Filipino folks dances and performance by renowned artists and new local talents. As in the previous years, the Mabuhay fest attracting audience of various race is the largest and most elaborate gatherings of Filipino-Canadians in the city.

The main high-light of the event was the traditional Sta. Cruzan - a religious procession during the festival of May Flowers in honour of Reina (Queen) Helena, who in the year 326 AD left Rome with her son in search of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. She successfully found the cross and returned to Rome. The religious procession is a re-enactment of the finding of the Holy Cross by the Reina Elena (Queen Helena).

The festival was introduced by the Spaniards in the Philippines and since has become part of the Filipino traditions recognized with youth, love and romance. This procession is traditionally being held in the Philippines for hundred of years now. However, in the modern days, it is more of a beauty pageant than a religious procession. Instead of icons or images, beautiful young women with appropriate theatrical costumes portray biblical and historical characters under a hand-made, hand-carried arc decorated with colourful flowers. They symbolize the Queens from the past and are dressed beautifully to look like real Queens. The procession is followed by the steady beat of live band that lends the festive sound to the procession.

In Toronto and in other parts of the world, it is a wonderful re-enactment of old Filipino tradition, that gives the younger generation a lesson in history and an excellent way to carve up their beauties.

In the Philippines, Sta. Cruzan is held annually during the warm month of May and is considered to be the “Queen of Filipino Festivals.”

View photos:

Santa Cruzan_ 44 photos »

Fashion Show_ 39 photos »

Fiesta Filipina Dance Troupe_ 41 photos »

Concert _ 25 photos »

Parade_ 43 photos »