PH EMBASSY CELEBRATES KALAYAAN 2023 WITH THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY IN KENYA
Nairobi PE personnel with The Nightingales and over 120 members of the Filipino Community in Kenya who attended the Kalayaan 2023 celebration
NAIROBI, 20 June 2023 – The Philippine Embassy in Nairobi marked the 125th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence with the Filipino community in Kenya in a festive celebration on 18 June 2023 that featured performances by the Filipino soprano duo “The Nightingales” and other fun activities.
Co-organized with the Filipino Community in Kenya (FilCom Kenya), the event was attended by more than 120 Filipinos.
Preceded by a community mass celebrated by Fr. Erik Lacandula and Fr. Philip Lazatin, the program proper started with a flag-raising ceremony, followed by the presentation of the independence day video message of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and a reading of the message of Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo.
Reflecting on the 2023 Independence Day theme of “Kalayaan. Kinabukasan. Kasaysayan”, Ambassador Marie Charlotte G. Tang, in her remarks, emphasized how the lessons of the past can serve as guiding lights for Filipinos wherever they are, as they collectively dream and strive for a brighter and a more prosperous Philippines.
The Nightingales, specially flown in from the Philippines with the support of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), enthralled the guests with their rendition of favorite Filipino folk songs, as well as a medley of Regine Velasquez classics.
The event featured a sumptuous potluck feast featuring traditional Filipino dishes such as the crowd-favorite lechon, kare-kare, caldereta, longganisang vigan, and dinuguan, which brought the comforting taste of home to Kenya.
In the spirit of camaraderie, the guests also enthusiastically engaged in various Filipino-themed games, including the popular Pinoy Henyo and the exciting Pera o Bayong. The guests also showcased their creativity by adorning themselves in Philippine-themed attire and partaking in the Menudo Queen/King Challenge, each presenting their unique version of the popular Pinoy dish. END
Ambassador Tang delivers her Kalayaan 2023 remarks 
The Nightingales belt out songs popularized by Asia’s Songbird, Ms. Regine Velasquez
FilCom members eagerly participate in the Filipino-themed games
