Ambassador Yparraguirre addresses the crowd during the Barrio Fiesta

held atSportplatz ATV Liesing in the 23^rd District in Vienna on 16 July.

The annual Barrio Fiesta, organized by the Council of Filipino Associations in Austria (CFAA), in cooperation with the Embassy of the Philippines in Vienna was held last Saturday, 16 July, at the Sportplatz ATV Liesing in the 23^rd District of Vienna. Filipinos in Austria came out in full force to commemorate the 113^th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence and the 150^th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal. The event was proof that the national spirit is alive and well in the Filipino community in Austria.

With sunny weather, about 4,000 Filipinos, Austrians and other nationalities trooped to the Barrio Fiesta this year as compared to approximately 3,000 last year. The event was a venue to showcase Philippine culture, arts and tourism. The Philippine Embassy booth displayed some scenic spots of the country, particularly the Puerto Princesa Underground River, which is the official entry of the Philippines to the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

The venue was filled with families and groups who had come to watch the cultural presentations from different Filipino organizations in Austria.

Amb. Yparraguirre and Mr. Rolly Mercado, Chairman of the

Council of Filipino Associations in Austria (CFAA)

led the Barrio Fiesta Parade.

Dance performance of one of the member associations of the CFAA.

Philippine Embassy staff, parents and students of Paaralan

sa Pasuguan during the Parade.

Ati-atihan presentation from the Ilonggo Community in Austria

The fiesta’s top attraction was the food bazaar, where mouth-watering dishes gave Filipinos and other guests a savory treat of native Filipino dishes. Other stalls offered groceries, souvenir items, real estate investment opportunities in the Philippines, tours and travel packages, cargo-forwarding and money remittance services.

Dance interpretation from the Igorot Community in Austria

Float of the Association of Novo Ecijanos in Austria (ANEA)

Another highlight of the Barrio Fiesta was the graduation ceremony of the annual Páaralán sa Pásuguán (Schule in der Botschaft). This year’s graduates was composed of eighteen (18) Filipino-Austrian children ages 5 to 18 years old. The graduates performed a musical number (Lupang Hinirang, Bahay Kubo and Paru-Parung Bukid) and a dance interpretation of Ba-Ingles (derived from the words "Bai le" and "Ingles"), which was supposedly brought to the Philippines in the early days by English tradesmen.

The students of the Paaralan sa Pasuguan dancing Ba-Ingles,

a dance interpretation of Baile with English influence before

receiving their respective Certificates of Recognition.

Joining the Barrio Fiesta parade are Filipinos from the

business community.

Mouth-watering Pinoy-style barbecue.