In celebration of the 119th Anniversary of the Declaration of Philippine Independence, the Filipino Community in Chile led the festivities in Santiago with a Filipino food salu-salo and by holding a Philippine traditional dance contest at the Parroquia Italiana on 3 June 2017. More than 200 Filipinos living in Chile, along with their friends and family, participated in the event.
Philippine Embassy Chargé D’Affaires, a.i. Mr. Marcos Punsalang delivered his opening remarks in line with the Kalayaan 2017 theme, Pagbabagong, Samasamang, Balikatin by highlighting the need to nurture the growing Filipino community by looking out for one another and strengthening ties with the local community.
The event was organized by the community, led by the designated Filipino Community coordinators, whose chief task is to check on Filipinos in times of crises and to encourage newly-arrived Filipino workers to register at the Embassy. The number of Filipinos in Chile has been steadily rising since 2013, with the population growing from about a hundred to 600 in a span of 4 years. Most have found work as household workers in a country that shares a Catholic, Hispanic heritage with the Philippines and also continues to enact labor-friendly policies that protect migrant workers.END
