With the coming of Christmas and the fast-approaching of the year 2020, a group of Filipinos in Johor Bahru Malaysia has once again showcased a very energetic and jovial celebration of Christmas. The said event showcased the value of “Pakiki-pagkapwa and pakikisama” (unity) in celebrating the true spirit of Christmas on the 15th of December 2019 at the Full Gospel Church, Johor Jaya, Johor, Malaysia.
With very good support from the ministry of Full Gospel Church Johor Bahru through the leadership of Pastor James, the event successfully held with a great smile to everyone. He delivered a good message catering to every Filipinos working abroad which he said despite all the challenges in the workplace, bullying, and even the discrimination we are facing, he encouraged everyone to be strong, have the Christian heart and always be a good son of God.
Meanwhile, the organizing committee also invited some Filipinos working in Singapore and other towns and cities in Johor Bahru Malaysia to celebrate the true spirit of Christmas and make the celebration as festive with the energetic and well-prepared presentations conducted by some Filipinos like the Zumba dance group and the showcasing of traditional folk dance of Filipino called the “Pangdanggo”.
For those who don’t know about this traditional dance, this is actually a Philippine folk dance that has become popular in the rural areas of the Philippines. The dance evolved from Fandango, a Spanish folk dance, which arrived in the Philippines during the Hispanic period. In the early 18th century, any dance that is considered jovial and lively was called Pandanggo. This traditional dance is one of the subjects being taught to every Filipino in the Philippines for them to understand and appreciate the beauty of traditional dances which has marked in the Philippine arts and culture.
The singing of famous tagalog Christmas song “Ang Pasko ay Sumapit” has also highlighted the event in a very lively mode. The word “Ang Pasko ay sumapit “ is literally translates to "Christmas is Here". This song was written by National artist Levi Celerio during the 1950's, the song is still sung today in various communities, especially in Churches both in the Philippines and abroad.
In the Philippines, this song is mostly sung by all ages for caroling, community events, school activities and even for small Christmas gatherings. There is no way that this song will never be heard in every Christmas Filipino events in the Philippines and abroad.
The True Spirit Of Magkaka-babayan.
During the celebration, the spirit of oneness once again showed that no matter how hard the challenges faced by every Filipinos overseas, we are united as one and make the celebration together and sing those anthems that have marked our childhood which we want to embark to the new generation.
The jovial faces come in as everyone danced with the very good Zumba dance performance done by one of the members of the group. The performance has really amazed not only the Filipino community but also to other guests who witnessed how the group flourished a well-versed dance choreography which absolutely eat their time for lots and lots of rehearsals just to make a smile to every guest on that day.
“Walang kill joy”, a Filipino expression that literary means “don’t kill the fun mode”. All participants and guests dance together and appreciated all the presentations done by the singers, worship team, dancers, and presenters on that day. The wow factor is there as if you are watching the opening of SEA Games 2019.
Flourishing With A Lot Of Filipino Food
One of the best events in every Filipino gathering is eating time. Guest, performers, and organizers dine together to enjoy the food prepared by the organizing committee and some volunteers from the group.
One of the stand out menu on that day was the “embutido” and “spicy sisig” which captured the heart and taste buds of the Filipino community and other foreign spouses who attended the event.
For those who are curious about “Embutido”, the origin of this Filipino styled Embutido dish was actually traced during the Spanish colonization in the Philippines for three and a half centuries beginning in the middle of the 15th century. During that time, the Spaniards introduced different recipes of their sausages such as Chorizo, Longaniza, and Embutido. This menu is very popular across the 7,641 island in the Philippines during special occasions like weddings, birthday parties, house blessings, and Christmas parties.
The spicy sisig was actually recorded in history somewhere in the year 1732, in a Kapampangan dictionary compiled by an Augustinian friar, Diego Bergaño. Over the years, sisig has evolved from being just a salad to being a main dish, when our ancestors started putting meat in it, like pig ears and pig cheeks.
Some fusion style were made including the mixing of “siling labuyo” (chili puddy) that makes the whole dish spicy yet juicy.
Other spotted Filipino food on that day was also the Pancit Guidsado which accordingly originated in Lipa, Batangas back in 1968. This dish was said to have been invented by restaurateur To Kim Eng. This pancit guisado was also mixed with different types of vegetables to blend in together to make it appetizing.
The celebration also shared the "sapin sapin" and Philippine Casava, "Sapin-sapin" is a sticky rice cake from the Philippines, it originated in a northern province called Abra. "Sapin-sapin" means “layers” and the dessert is recognizable for its layers, each colored separately. It has been referred to as “a blancmange of several colored layers, sweetened and flavoured with coconut milk”.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Cassava is a traditional Filipino moist cake made from grated cassava, coconut milk, and condensed milk with a custard layer on top. It is a very popular dish in the Philippines, where it is commonly eaten for merienda. It is also served during gatherings and special occasions like Christmas celebrations, birthday parties and even new year's eve celebration.
Overall this is what makes Filipino in the eye of every nation. Despite all the challenges, we still stand up together, cheer up together and celebrate the occasion to make us happy, motivates us to move forward and mark our true identity as one of the most jovial citizens in the world.
