Arts and Culture Program
Arts and Culture reflects the history, the life and the future of a people. It also binds the worlds’ history with the future. By supporting and initiating various artistic and cultural activities, ENFiD hopes to contribute in the promotion of Filipino cultural heritage including those that are in danger of extinction like the arts and tradition of many indigenous people. Also through the art and culture program, ENFiD is guided by the 2030 Global Goals, which explicitly commit to strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage.
At the same time, many Filipino artists, performing artists and visual artists, abound in Europe. A few are well known within and beyond the Filipino communities, many are yet to be known. Filipinos are keen in organizing cultural events. However, Filipino artists of caliber lack proper profiling within the Filipino community and to the European audience. ENFiD plays an important role in promoting Filipino artists within the Filipino community and beyond while promoting and gathering support for the protection of the arts and culture of the indigenous people.
The General Objective of the Art and Culture Program is support and promote the Filipino cultural heritage including those of the many indigenous people of the Philippies while profiling Filipino artists of caliber to the Euro-Pinoys and to non-Filipinos.
Our Practical Objectives includes:
1) Promoting and showcasing various fields of Filipino Arts and Culture like paintings, traditional indigenous weaving and photography (visual art), music, theatre and dance (performing arts) in Europe with collaboration and integration to the locals of our respective communities and countries. Special invitation of influential and key personalities in various sectors such as the government, media, corporate and showbiz will be given attention.
2) Bringing diverse communities including various ethnic communities and European locals together and removing the social barriers through arts;
3) Involving and uniting arts and culture groups and initiatives of ENFiD member-countries;
4) Promoting the vision, values and goals of ENFiD through arts and culture events;
5) Supporting the arts and culture of indigenous people in the Philippines;
6) Contributing to the sustainability of ENFiD through the proceeds of art and culture events.
ENFiD activities in the framework of this program:
1) Screenings of a quality Filipino films which has a relevant social and historical contents. After the screening, an open forum was held with the audience. The film was screened primarily in small groups in various ENFiD country-members.
2) Performances of Filipino puppeteer based in Ireland, Dawn Zabala, concert pianist based in Paris, John Florencio and internationally-known concert singer, Stephanie Reese in Malta in 2015.
3) Exhibit, sale and auction of paintings of known and less-known Filipino painters in various ENFiD countries as well as during the annual ENFiD conference in Prague in 2016 which was curated by Ver Cuizon.
4) Solo concert of ENFiD Ambassador of Goodwill, internationally known singer Stephanie Reese following the ENFiD European Conference in Prague in 2016.
Many ENFiD country members annually organize events such as ‘Flores de Mayo’ and ‘Santacruzan’ in their respective municipalities like in London, Rome, Meerssen (NL), which introduce and highlight Filipino cultural tradition to the European public.
Also in various ENFiD countries like Sweden, a Filipino Cultural Day is annually celebrated which, aside from traditional ‘kundiman’ and Filipino dances like ‘tinikling’ and ‘Pandango sa Ilaw’ also features Filipino culinary cooking competition, photo exhibit and competition, painting exhibit and sale.
ENFiD is currently discussing with other stakeholders a possibility of supporting the art of weaving of the Bsgobo-Tagabawa people in the southern island Mindanao.
In the spring of 2018, a European Filipino Art and Culture Festival will be held in London spearheaded by ENFiD-UK. This festival will feature various podia for Filipino visual and performing artists from all over Europe.
Arts and Culture Team
Myla dela Vega-Joseph Arceno, UK -Project Coordinator petmylaj@yahoo.co.uk
Tina Manipis, IR
Lovelina vizcayno, UK
Maria Basford, UK
Myleen Dela Cruz, UK
Tsuchete Fueglister, CH
Maria Talisay, CH
Sports Program
ENFiD believes that a healthy mind requires a healthy body. It is therefore important for ENFiD to engage in activities that promote the health and well-being of its members through sport. Moreover, experience in various ENFiD member countries show that coming-together in the framework of sport activities strengthens the camaraderie, openness and cooperation among ENFiD country members and other Filipino organisations.
The objectives of this program include the following:
- To promote understanding of physical and mental well-being so that the interrelation of stress, rest and relaxation is internalized and an understanding of the importance of sport in the pursuit of a healthy and active lifestyle is developed;
- To provide a secure and safe environment to play and socialize with other ENFiD Country members, thereby enhancing camaraderie among ENFiD members and establishing reliable and constructive networking with ENFiD members and other partner agencies;
- To develop an appreciation of the concepts of fair play, honest competition and good sportsmanship and use sport as a means to develop social interaction to learn about others as well as themselves.
- To develop leadership skills and foster qualities of co-operation, tolerance, consideration, trust and responsibility when faced with group and team problem-solving tasks and to increase self-esteem and self-confidence through positive sporting experiences.
Many ENFiD member-countries like Norway, France and Malta, regularly engage in sport activities and competition individually with local partner organizations.
During the Annual General Assembly of ENFiD in Prague in 2016, ENFiD members discussed the importance of sustained engagement in sports activities. It was resolved to include Sports in the regular program of ENFiD.
On July 1-3, 2017 ENFiD-UK, ENFiD France and ENFiD-CZ will come together for the first time in an invitational sports competition during the ‘Pista sa Paris’ celebration. This coming together is dubbed ‘Tri-Nation”.
In July 2018, a European-level ENFiD Sports Invitational is being planned. Details will follow in due time.
ENFiD Sports Working Group
Ric Gacayan (UK) ric_gacayan@rocketmail.com
Dennis Mana-ay (France) dennismn9@gmail.com
Michelle Marquez (Czech Republic) misa.kub@live.com