24 May 2011 - The Philippines successfully participated in the 2011 Canadian Tulip Festival held at Major's Hill Park, Ottawa from 13 to 23 May 2011.
CDA Minerva Jean A. Falcon with Filipino entrepreneurs Amanda and Robert Migrino at the International Pavilion
The Philippines was among the more than 20 countries represented at the Festival's International Pavilion, Food Bazaar and International Friendship stage. Organized by the Philippine Embassy, Philippine participation projected Philippine products, cuisine, culture and tourism including the country's UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Vigan and Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park.
Philippine Booth at the Food Bazaar
Festival goers either sampled Filipino delicacies such as pansit, adobo, and lumpia or purchased Philippine souvenirs that included t-shirts and accessories. At the International Friendship Stage, weekend audiences of over 3,000 found delightful the performances of the Pamana ng LuzViMinda Dance Troupe of Montreal on 15 May, the Pamana Cultural Dance Troupe on 21 May and the Himig Choral Ensemble on 21 May.
Pamana ng LuzViMinda Dance Troupe of Montreal
Pamana Cultural Dance Troupe
Himig Chorale Ensemble
Now on its 59th year, the Canadian Tulip Festival is the largest of its kind in the world. This year's theme, "Kaleidoscope," was a celebration of spring awakening through color, culture and community. The festival began after the Second World War when Princess Juliana of the Netherlands presented Ottawa with 100,000 tulip bulbs as a token of friendship, Canada having provided asylum for the Dutch royal family during the war and having played a strong role in the Netherlands' liberation. The Netherlands continues to give Ottawa 20,000 tulip bulbs every year in this annual celebration of international friendship that has become one of Canada's best loved and well known cultural events attended by hundreds of thousands of visitors from North America, Europe and Asia every spring.