Filipino Fiesta at MiCenter/IOM Lithuania – June 14, 2025
June 14, 2025 – For the second time, IOM Lithuania or the International Organization for Migration (MiCenter Lithuania) hosted the Philippine Independence Day Celebration. They also hosted our event last year, June 15, 2024. People were invited through Facebook events. Originally, the event was aimed to invite around 45 people, but a total of 94 people arrived and participated during the event, including adults and children, with more guests from the foreign community in Vilnius. This event aimed to introduce a “Filipino Fiesta”, which means a party or gathering, to connect with the foreign community in Vilnius and celebrate the global presence of the Filipinos through showcasing our food and games. With a minimal budget provided by IOM, some members of the Filipino community provided a lavish Filipino spread, including roasted chicken, rice, beef caldereta, lumpiang shanghai, pansit bihon, sisig, adobo, buchi, mango jelly salad, kutsinta, puto, binignit, and eggpie. The food was finished in no time, and the guests were all impressed with the variety of food available. In addition, plenty of drinks were provided as well, including water, fruit juices, and carbonated drinks. Some guests who registered also brought some homemade food they were willing to share, which showed how they wanted to participate in the gathering. This year, we have invited a Latvian artist, Ms. Vita Laiminga, who gave some entertainment for the children (and adults too!). She offered face painting, temporary tattoos and plenty of arts and crafts during the event. Many were impressed and happy with her activities, and we will invite her to future events again.
After we shared a great meal, plenty of games were played by the guests, including “sipa”, and during the game, a Ukrainian participant won the best prize, which included a coupon from Mojo Cafe, a Filipino owned restaurant in Trakai, Lithuania, owned by Mr. Andy Hernandez. The coupon included a free Filipino appetizer and dessert which he can claim from the restaurant during his visit. We also played a team game, which we called a “Super Relay”, a combination of different relays we play in the Philippines, such as tongue twister/polvoron game, bursting the balloon, candy on a spoon relay, pandango sa ilaw dance, and 3-legged race as well. It consisted of two teams, each with 5 players each, and for this game, it was a girls’ team versus a boys’ team. The girls’ team won in this relay. All the participants brought home good prizes, including Filipino made chocolates, key chains and flag pins. We had some games in between, facilitated by Ms. Narmin Aliev, a seasoned host and quiz master, who is famous for her quiz shows in different events in Vilnius and Kaunas. She gladly participated in this event, as a guest quiz master and had a short segment with participants. We had special guests as well, some friends who came to support the event, and visited us unexpectedly, including Storyteller Milda, a famous story teller in Lithuania, Netherlands and France, and two Latin American singers in Lithuania, famous in many pubs and events – Enrique Santos and Patricija Luščynska, who sang the song “Despacito” (for free) to entertain the guests.
It was then followed by a bingo game, both a traditional bingo and a non-traditional bingo game. A non-traditional bingo was more enjoyed by the participants, in which the guests were given bingo cards, and numbers were drawn randomly. If the participant’s card has the number drawn, then he/she is already out from the game. We did the non-traditional bingo game for 2 rounds, and many requested to have it again. There was one winner from the traditional bingo game and there were two winners from the non-traditional bingo game. The prizes include handmade and hand-painted tote bags with Filipino “baybayin” words, 3D printed coasters with a Philippine flag design, and homemade kimchi. The last game during the fiesta was the karaoke contest, which showcased the singing talents of many foreign nationals who participated in the event. This year, we had a lot of awards for the participants, such as the Pop Star Award, Best Duet Award, Karaoke Queen Award, and Audience Choice Award. Many participants went back home with plenty of prizes and surprises, including the winner of the Best Dish Award (Beef Caldereta), and the participants who found the hidden Philippine flags around the center/venue. Prizes also included the materials given by the Philippine Department of Tourism through the Philippine Embassy, Warsaw, Poland. IOM Lithuania/MiCenter post about this event in this link: https://fb.me/e/3mphBKbwv
