17 September 2017, Dubai, UAE. Philippine Consul General in Dubai Paul Raymund Cortes led the launch of the Bayanihan Festival 2017 together with the leaders of the umbrella-organization of the Filipino Community in Dubai and the Northern Emirates at a Press Conference held on 14 September 2017. The Bayanihan 2017 event, which will be held on 15 December 2017 at the Dubai World Trade Center, is the community’s celebration of Christmas and UAE National Day (2 December).

For the first time, a Bayanihan theme song was commissioned by the organizing Committee. Composed by TechPenz, a local Filipino band in Dubai, the song, titled “Bayanihan”, will be played on Tag 91.1, the only Filipino radio station in Dubai, in the run-up to the December event.

The Consulate General and the Filipino Community in Dubai and the Northern Emirates hold two big celebrations every year – Philippine Independence Day in June and the Bayanihan Festival in December. The most recent Philippine Independence Day Celebrations, held in May this year in view of Ramadan, drew the participation of over 20,000 Filipinos, a record figure for the Independence Day event. END