By Roy Mabasa
Philippine Ambassador to London Antonio Lagdameo has lauded the dazzling performance, volunteerism and participation of the Filipino community at the Festival of Families that highlighted the recent visit of Pope Francis in Dublin, Ireland.
Pope Francis (AFP PHOTO / VINCENZO PINTO / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
“It is inspiring to see the passion and fervor of Filipinos in freely offering their time and talent at the Festival,” Lagdameo said in a statement over the weekend.
The Embassy in the United Kingdom has jurisdiction over Ireland.
“The participation of Filipinos in such an important gathering offers us a glimpse of how they positively contribute to the faith communities in Ireland,” he added.
Some 30 members of ‘Lumad nga Bisaya’ joined the flash mob during the festival, performing alongside a powerhouse lineup of contemporary Irish and international singers, choirs, musicians, dancers, and performers.
Lumad Bisaya is composed of Filipinos who hail from the Philippines’ Visayan regions such as Cebu, Negros, Bohol, and Leyte.
Other members of the Philippine contingent served as flag bearers.
Voce Christiana, a Filipino choir, also sang during the final mass of the World Meeting of Families (WMOF) presided by no less than Pope Francis on August 26.
“It has been really inspiring to see how many people are willing to make a contribution to an event like this – to just give their time and talents. It’s going to be an amazing event for all those who attend and while I am going to be really busy as part of the volunteer team, I know that I am going to gain a once-in-a-lifetime experience from it,” said Filipino volunteer Jinny Malazarte.
Malazarte, who registered as the 2,500th volunteer to the WMOF event, moved to Ireland from the Philippines about 17 years ago.
The Dublin festival is the highlight of the triennial WMOF held this year in the Irish capital. The next WMOF will take place in Rome in 2021.