There is a reason St. Patrick’s Day is depicted in mass media as a rave. It’s because it is, especially in the Philippines, a country all about festivities.
Green is the color of good luck, diplomacy, and epic parties
Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, especially Filipinos
Apr 18, 2023 05:01 AM
At a glance
Weeks before Easter, the world would celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, which honors the life and death of the patron saint of Ireland. Prior to all the abstinence and calm of Resurrection Sunday is a soirée, a day dedicated to drinking and going all out, widely observed in the US, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, places with significant populations of Irish people.
Contrary to how the single-day festival is commonly depicted, however, St. Paddy’s Day is not just about food, music, dancing, alcohol, good luck, and painting the town green, it is also a religious and cultural affair that holds great meaning for many countries other than Ireland.
In recent news, for instance, the national day generated one million dollars of revenue for downtown Wichita Falls, helping the area and community recover from the economic slump caused by the pandemic.
Despite not having any Irish immigrants and heritage, the Philippines is among the nations that commemorate St. Patrick’s Day. This is because Irish missionaries have been sent to the country in the 19th century. The Philippines has even been called “a sort of Catholic Ireland located off the coastline of Asia.”
The Philippines and Ireland enjoy strong bilateral relations because of people-to-people linkages like the relationship between Josephine Bracken and Jose Rizal.
Today, the holiday signifies the friendship between Ireland and the Philippines. Last year, historic landmarks, Fort Santiago and the Rizal Monument, were lit green as Ireland’s embassy officially observed St. Patrick’s Day in the Philippines for the first time.
“There are many correlations between Rizal and our own revolutionaries, with many shared philosophies,” wrote the Irish embassy in a statement. “Rizal’s guiding vision was to stand up in the face of oppression, brutality, and inhumanity—these values continue to resonate for Ireland today looking at the situation in Ukraine and in all places experiencing conflict and oppression.”
This year, Irish minister of state Niall Collins TD visited the Philippines as part of his government’s global outreach. A reception was also held at Irish Ambassador William Carlos’ residence attended by Trade Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual, Makati Mayor Abby Binay, and former foreign affairs secretary Albert del Rosario, as well as other diplomatic corps. Read the detailed report by Manila Bulletin Lifestyle’s Carol Malasig here.
There is a reason St. Patrick’s Day is depicted in mass media as a rave. It’s because it is, especially in the Philippines, a country all about festivities. The Island at The Palace, Uptown Parade, Taguig, saw live performances from August Wahh, Fern, Leanne & Naara, DJ Ron Poe, and Bamboo last year, thanks to Jameson. It has been a tradition for the Irish Whiskey brand to commemorate St. Patrick’s Day with a social function on the same day and place. This year was no exception, with a dual fete that’s bigger and bolder.
The two-day fest kicked off with the biggest local musical acts. Nameless Kids, Nobita, Sky Dominique, Katsy Lee, and KZ Tandingan, along with DJ Ron Poe and Leanne & Naara, from last year, performed on the first night.
At The Island, guests were treated with a free welcome drink, the Jameson Ginger Ale and Lime. There were interactive booths, drinking games, and overflowing cocktails. A pleasant surprise was the sweet and boozy Jameson sorbetes, a vanilla ice cream infused with whiskey.
The following evening, Jameson took over Makati with an “endless party and chill stops.” Two bands performed at The Apartment at Z, in particular, Project: Romeo and Carousel Casualties. Filipino actor and lyricist Dino Imperial, otherwise known as DZ SVG, meanwhile, took the house down at The Green Door. Eva Smalls and Mark Thompson jammed at Z Hostel’s roof deck. It was the kind of night you’re either too drunk to even speak or just barely sober you feel like you’re a magic leprechaun—either way you’d wish you were Irish.