June 12, 2010 was a night to remember for Filipino Saints as President Thomas S. Monson together with President Henry B. Eyring, 1^st counselor in the First Presidency, Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Bishop Burton of the Presiding Bishopric, Philippines Area Presidency, Elder Keith Edwards, Elder Michael John U. Teh, and Elder Won Yong Ko with their wives graced the anticipated cultural celebration.

Anchored on the theme “A Celebration of Filipino Heritage,” an estimated 9000 members of the Church from different areas of the country gathered at the Cebu Coliseum to witness the special event.  The celebration was aptly timed with the commemoration of Philippine independence.

Prophet’s Message

Filled with respect and admiration, the audience stood to welcome the prophet as he entered the coliseum.  In his message President Thomas S. Monson expressed his love of big activities like the cultural celebration, “I like young people to get together in big events…young children will never forget,” he said.

“What he said was exactly the same as our basic consideration. I am glad to follow the Prophet and we did what he is looking forward to see. I appreciate all of the committee members, local leaders and the youth who followed our guidelines.” Elder Ko expressed.

Nine cultural dances were presented dating from the pre-Spanish period, the Spanish occupation time, the Second World War to the present day. A mixture of traditional and interpretative dances was presented during the show ranging from the simpler Bagobo to the more complex Singkil. The live performers came from several stakes of Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Zamboanga, Tacloban, Ormoc, Ilo-ilo, Bacolod, Davao and districts of Tagbilaran, Calape, and Dumaguete. It was also simultaneously performed on-screen by youth coming from Sagay and Cadiz Stakes, Escalante district, Iligan and Oroquieta stakes, Ozamiz, Tolosa, and Carigara Districts, Roxas, Kalibo, Binalbagan stakes, La Carlota, San Carlos, Tanjay districts, Butuan Stake, Gingoog, Trento, Catbalogan districts, Catarman, General Santos, Digos stakes, and Marbel district respectively. There were 1190 on-screen participants and 2,300 live performers.

The highlights were the on-screen narration of the growth of the Church in the Philippines in different periods of time. Three young women Lorydind Almagro; Niera Rel Juntilla and Angela Carmella Fantone sung True Believers as the finale song to illustrate the unity of Saints in the three major islands of the country. Everybody then sung the hymn “Come, Come Ye Saints” to conclude the program while all youth stage performers gathered in front of the prophet.

Dance and Costume

Everyone in the coliseum was enthralled by the colorful, regional costumes, which featured traditional dance, music, and culture. It wooed the audience when they saw the beautiful choreography of the dances and the coordination of the on-screen and live performers. Cheers erupted from the audience with each dance. Parents and leaders were extremely glad at how the performances turned out.

“It’s very overwhelming to see my child being a part of this historical event,” Nelma Cabanag of Tacloban Philippines Stake shared.  Members of the Relief Society made the costumes of the youth.  Brother Rogelio Lim of Iloilo Philippines Stake (who assisted the youth) related how their participants zealously saved money to be able to give their contributions for the said activity.

Planning

The staging of the cultural celebration involved a lot of members who silently worked through each o detail of the event, from security and audiovisual requirements to arranging housing and transportation. Countless planning sessions and meetings were conducted prior to the event. These were not limited to the local temple committee but also involved the support and coordination of each local unit. “It’s been really tough coordinating especially with off-island stakes but the Lord gave us efficient committee members to assist us,” said Anniecel Reniva, Cebu Philippines Stake and Cultural Committee Vice Chair.

“This celebration is focused not on the professional quality and performance of the dancers but on people especially the youth,” Elder Won Yong Ko explained.

Preparation and Sacrifices

Months of preparation, from long hours of practice to finding the right props and costumes were just some of the challenges faced by the youth and their local leaders. Traveling to the venues of the rehearsals involved hours of land or sea travel. A particular group of youth from Bacolod was soaked by heavy rain going to the airport because they were riding an open vehicle. Another group from Bunawan ward, Davao Buhangin stake were examples of self-reliance. Most of them were children of either scavengers or street food seller, which necessitated for them to raise the allowance they need to travel. They worked hard as car washers, collectors or sellers of empty tin cans. These young men and women did not mind these inconveniences and sacrifices because they knew for whom they were doing it for – for the Lord and for his anointed living prophet.

Clark Pelayo, 17 years old from Bogo district shared how this event inspired him not only to read the scriptures everyday and attend institute classes but also to start keeping a journal so that he can write down his experiences and share his testimony which he can hand down to his posterity.

Photos 1

Photos 2

Photos 3

Photos 4

Photos 5