Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

The weather was perfect as the Philippine-American Friendship Committee, Inc. (PAFCOM) held its 19th Grand Parade & Festival on Sunday, June 28 in Jersey City to observe Phil-Am Friendship Day.

The day-long festivities started with the celebration of Holy Mass at 8am at St. Bridget Church, located at corner Montgomery & Brunswick St. An ecumenical service at the parade reviewing stand, on the corner of Montgomery and Greene St, was likewise scheduled, and gospel music featuring different choirs highlighted the service.

The Grand Parade kicked off after the mass at Plaza Rizal following a short ceremony and the wreath-laying at Rizal monument. Government officials, PAFCOM members, and community leaders then began to march together with floats, bands, and street entertainers.

A large contingent from Chinatown, the Falun Dafa Marching Band added color to the parade, which started on the corner of Brunswick and Columbus Avenue stretching down to Montgomery and Greene Streets, on the Exchange Place waterfront.

This year’s Grand Marshal is Dr. Lorie D. Lizardo, MD, a practicing psychiatrist from East Orange, NJ. Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy of Jersey City and Hon. Cecille Rebong, Consul General of the NY Philippine Consulate joined Dr. Lizardo and PAFCOM officers led by Hector Magno, this year’s Overall Chairperson in the festivities.

The parade featured marching bands, floats with beautiful ladies and their escorts, open-top cars and other private corporations lending their time and energy to boost up the parade. Winning the best contingent in the Parade category is the Tian Guo Marching Band, known to the Filipinos as the Falun Dafa with their orchestration of a regal and orderly marchers and instrumentalists consisting of young and adult members.

The Festival started immediately after the parade at 1pm showcasing local artists in the tri-state area. Mig Ayesa, a runner-up in the reality show on national television, Rock Star INXS performed some of his original songs, much to the delight of the audience.

An added feature was the appearance of Samantha and Craig Abaya, Teenage Champions of Dancing With the Stars Season 8. A dance group called Point Blank from Delaware and Pennsylvania who made the finals of the America’s Best Dance Crew on MTV also performed.

Food vendors as well as non-food vendors with their tents lined-up along Montgomery Ave. catered to thousands of revelers and attendees.

The highlight of the festival is the Grand Finals of this year’s Filipino Idol singing competition (now on its 8th year), coordinated by Hector Magno and Rosemarie Flores.

The winner was a 17-year old high school charmer from Jersey City, Riana Balahadia with her beautiful rendition of Don’t Rain on My Parade. Coming in close 2nd is Jon-Michael Eclar from Washington DC with his rendition of Why God Why from Miss Saigon. Third place finisher is a Rutgers student Vanessa Villena from South Jersey with her interpretation of You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me.

(PAFCOM (Philippine-American Friendship Committee, Inc.), is a 501 c-3 not-for-profit organization based in Jersey City.)

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( Published on July 3, 2009 in LifeEASTyle Magazine p. 2 ) <- Click for more pictures.