After a 2-year long pandemic, we are happy to finally bring back our flagship festival - the only Filipino festival by young people for young people!
On Saturday 28th May, 2022, we held our second Filipino culture festival. If not for Corona, this would have been our fourth annual summer festival. But also if not for Corona, perhaps we would have been delayed in our digital expansion.
Saturday was a day full of blessings. Firstly we were blessed once more with another good weather (can't believe we literally just missed the rain and it was quite sunny that day too!), and also despite Comic Con happening on the same day and many students still undertaking exams and completing deadlines (including some of this year's organisers!), FiliFest still welcomed around 1000 visitors throughout the day!
For this year's festival we partnered with 19 Filipino businesses/organisations, ranging from small businesses, local food vendors and restaurants, to charities, organisations and a large conglomerate. We worked with the Philippine Department of Tourism but also a business based in the Philippines! It was great to welcome familiar faces, but also to build relationships with new partners!
This year we had more barbecue, more bubble tea and more sweet treats with the addition of indoor baked goods vendors on top of our outdoor food vendors!
We enjoyed having Turo Turo back again at our festival. This year they brought back their award winning Charred Aubergines and a range of chicken wings to suit your palate! Check out Turo Turo's Instagram and Website!
In 2019 one of our longest lines was our bubble tea vendor. So this year we brought TWO bubble tea vendors for you to choose from!
All the way from Tooting Broadway is Ligaya Bakery known for their unique bubble tea twists in a bottle and delicious cupcakes with Filipino flavours! Check out Ligaya Bakery's Instagram and visit their store in 986 Garratt Lane, Tooting Broadway, London, UK, SW17 0ND!
We also welcomed Boba Garden to our festival this year! We previously worked with Boba Garden for our Lockdown Lessons video in 2020 so it was great to work with them again this year. We enjoyed their fresh customisable bubble tea, matching the perfect weather on the day. Check out Boba Garden's Instagram and Website if you'd like to also hire a Boba Garden booth!
Rapsa was one of our sponsors for our recent FiliFest Awards event. We love how Rapsa continuously supports students and we really appreciate them bringing some of their restaurant’s best snacks and drinks to FiliFest! Check out Rapsa’s Instagram and Website to stay updated!
New to FiliFest is one of my personal favourites even before this year’s festival! I came across Pinoy Eat in 2019 but it was way too last minute to bring them in as a vendor. They were the first vendor I approached for 2020 but we all know how that went. I’m really pleased to finally bring them to FiliFest this year and it seems like the rest of you agree with me too! If you’re craving more Pinoy Eat, they’re usually at Tabard Street Market near Borough Station on weekdays 10.30am-2pm. Check out Pinoy Eat’s Instagram!
Our last outdoor food vendor was recommended by YOU. We asked our FiliFest Community on our Instagram any vendors they’d like this year and Lorenzo’s Kusina was recommended by some of you. Typically operating as just a takeaway, we appreciate Lorenzo’s Kusina for coming to FiliFest as a stall vendor this year! We especially enjoyed their mini basketball game too! Check out Lorenzo Kusina’s Instagram and Website!
For this year’s festival, we had additional indoor stalls. We worked with two small businesses specialising in baked goods so you can try Filipino sweets and flavours!
Smolbeanbakes is another personal favourite of mine (I got my unique ube boba birthday cake last year from them too!). I have my go-to list of businesses that I like to get sweets from and yes they’re on that list! If you’re craving more of their cream puffs like I am, send a DM on Smolbeanbakes’ Instagram.
If I had to pick my favourite cake, chiffon would probably top the list. Bringing to FiliFest the Queen of chiffon cakes, Deechiffon definitely did not disappoint! Did we mention the Filipino pandesals and spanish breads were AMAZING too? Truly brought us back home! Check out Deechiffon's Instagram to order!
Our Culture and Indoor Stalls Room housed several Filipino businesses/organisations which represented Filipino culture well. We already mentioned food, but another big part of our culture is music.
This coming Saturday July 30th, 2022, from 11am till late, ABS-CBN's TFC is hosting the 1MX Music Festival at Apps Court Farm! We'd like to call it the 'Filipino Coachella' but for trademark issues we can't. Instead, just think of it as a revamped version of the original barrio fiesta. So yes, there will still be food and the festival rides and games, but the stage performances this time round are all by DJs and artists - local artists and some of the biggest Filipino musicians! FiliFest will also be in attendance at the 1MX Festival. We hope to see you there next month! Check out TFC's Instagram, iWant TFC website and the 1MX Instagram! (And if you would like to purchase tickets to the 1MX Festival, send us an email at [email protected] or DM us on Instagram!)
To celebrate more art, we brought to FiliFest some woven accessories all the way from the Philippines for you to keep! These were limited in stock but we're glad you all enjoyed personalising your very own pasalubong from the Philippines! Another new addition this year was our #MissKitaMemories Postbox. Some of you have sent postcards to your friends - we're DMing these out very soon! Thank you for participating in our trip back to the Philippines!
Also all the way from the Philippines were our Tanang Tribu accessories. We love this business and what it stands for. All accessories are handcrafted by various tribes in the Philippines and FiliFest is very fortunate to have been able to sell these on behalf of the Tanang Tribu team. All proceeds go straight back to the tribes and to mission work in the Philippines. If you'd like to order more Tanang Tribu products, DM them on their Instagram! Go support local tribes in the Philippines!
The best people to learn more about the Philippines is probably through the Philippine Department of Tourism. There are more than 7000 islands in the Philippines so if you'd like to know where to visit for your upcoming trip to the Philippines, check out the UK Philippine Department of Tourism's Instagram and Website! It really is more fun in the Philippines!
The Philippines is often described as the three B's: Basketball, Boxing and Beauty pageants. The Royalty's UK are the makers of Kings and Queens, and they are on the look out to find the next Miss or Mister Universe. Pageantry will help you practise self-discipline and poise, and who else to learn this from than the experts at The Royalty's? One of the highlights of the festival would definitely be The Royalty's catwalk. Extravagant in nature, or "bongga" (if this term is still used in the Philippines - mind my outdated knowledge on Filipino colloquial language), this segment truly was a showstopper. Check out their Instagram to learn more and let them know if you would be interested in joining them!
This year's exhibition is by a coalition of organisations: Filipino Domestic Workers Association, Kalayaan, Kanlungan, The Voice Domestic Workers. This cause is close to the hearts of many of our FiliFest Committee Members and to many of you in our Community too! Many Filipinos in the UK are migrant workers - whether this be your parents, relatives, friends or yourself! FiliFest loves Our Place Is Here as it sheds light into the true reality and conditions of migrant workers. Check out the Our Place Is Here Instagram and Website to learn more!
Our festival cannot be without the great performers we had on Saturday. Filipino or non-Filipino – FiliFest welcomes ALL youths who want to celebrate the Philippines with us, and at the same time promote local talents! We had a range of music styles this year and as usual, FiliFest is always a fan of spoken word artists. If you'd like to perform at FiliFest next year, keep an eye our on our Instagram to see when we're on the look out of performers! Thank you to our following performers: Claire Lacaden, Franz Torres, Chaiitiih, Alexis, Eli, Set 92, Crissy, Trage, Jelli, Hurrilala, Maria, Ard 33, Zone24seven and Art of Bodybending!
And of course, what is a stage without our amazing hosts? We loved having familiar faces and new ones too this year! Thank you to our hosts Rey, raya, Chesca, Mariah, Phoebe and 22 Chismis!
And of course we cannot forget our raffle sponsors! A big part of FiliFest is our raffle and we know you love them too! We did however had to move our raffle winners announcement to our Instagram stories the day afterwards as we couldn't extend our stage time anymore but congrats again to our raffle winners who have all now received their raffle prizes.
• Three course meal for 2 at Romulo Café given to Steven Murray. Romulo Café is one of our favourite sponsors and we're grateful they've continued to support us since 2019. (In fact a lot of my personal favourite foods are from Romulo Café!) They most recently participated as a sponsor for our FiliFest Awards too! Check out Romulo Café's Instagram and Website!
• Three course meal for 2 at Kasa and Kin given to Raissa Reyes. Kasa and Kin proves that street food can also be gourmet. My personal favourite is their bakery and desserts! Check out Kasa and Kin's Instagram and Website!
• 2 seats for a supper club / pop-up and a six pack of bibingka courtesy of The Adobros given to FJ. The Adobros is another favourite at FiliFest. They've continued to support us since 2019 and they even participated in our Lockdown Lessons video too. Check out The Adobros' Instagram and Website to stay updated!
• Gift box with 5 products from RoniB's Kitchen given to FJ. RoniB's products are a must have in any kitchen. Grab any of her product range to enhance your cooking at home! Check out their Instagram and Website!
• £50 spend at any restaurants from the Maginhawa Group (Bintang, Moi Moi Island, Guanabana, and Ramo Ramen) and an additional £20 to spend exclusively at Mamasons Dirty Ice Cream/Panadera Bakery, courtesy of Mamasons Dirty Ice Cream given to Josh L! Mamasons is one of the favourites of many of our FiliFest Committee and Community! (In fact I'm a proud supporter since their first opening in Kentish Town!) I love how much they've grown and how they've continued to support students. We still haven't gotten a Mamasons stall but who knows some day they may participate as a stall vendor. Check out Mamason's Instagram and Website!
FiliFest is truly grateful of all of our sponsors, even those that could not make it physically to our event! (You can catch Para sa Pinoy abtp. at Stratford Shopping Centre to get your next grocery goods from the Philippines!) It is truly a blessing to receive immense support from everyone, particularly our sponsors.
FiliFest 2022 Raffle Sponsors:
The Adobros, RoniB's Kitchen, Mamason's Dirty Ice Cream, Kasa and Kin and Romulo Café
FiliFest 2022 Outdoor Food Vendors:
Ligaya Bakery, Pinoy Eat, Rapsa, Turo Turo, Lorenzo's Kusina and Boba Garden
FiliFest 2022 Other Sponsors:
deechiffon, The Royalty's, Tanang Tribu, Philippine Department of Tourism, Para sa Pinoy abtp., smolbeanbakes, TFC and Our Place Is Here.
A huge thanks again to all of our sponsors and to everyone who attended our event! Do continue to send us your photos/videos, vlogs, posts, TikToks, blog posts and more so we can share these too! See you all next year at FiliFest 2023!
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