01 September 2022, CANBERRA – Philippine Ambassador to Australia Ma. Hellen B. De La Vega celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the Barrio Fiesta Festival on 27 August 2022 at the prestigious Darwin Waterfront, a popular and central area for cultural events in Darwin, Northern Territory. Dubbed as “Hala Bira”, the fun-filled Barrio Fiesta showcased a Philippine village, Filipino food stalls, a street parade and a cultural show featuring Filipino artists based in Darwin and in Adelaide, South Australia. In the evening, a concert featuring Filipino multi-awarded singer KZ Tandingan was held.

The Hon. Luke Gosling, Federal Member of Solomon and a strong champion pf the Philippines in the Australian Parliament, graced the event together with Hon. Chief Minister Natasha Fyles, Hon. Minister for Multicultural Affairs and in charge of international education Ngaree Ah Kit, Senator for the Northern Territory Malardirri Barbara McCarthy, and Leader of the Opposition Mrs. Lia Finnocchiano. The common theme of their speeches referred to the resilience and hardworking ethics of the Filipinos and their immense positive contribution to the growth and prosperity and multicultural diversity of the Territory.

In her message, Ambassador De La Vega encouraged everyone to nurture people-to-people connections between the Philippines and Australia. She enjoined the Filipinos present to continue uplifting the profile of Filipinos in Australia. She thanked the Filipino-Australian Association of the Northern Territory, Inc. (FAANT), headed by Ms. Emcille Wills, for its leadership and commitment in staging this unprecedented event which drew close to 7,000 people. More than 100 Filipinos volunteered for the event, bringing together Filipino associations not only in Darwin but also from as far as Katherine and other outlying areas of the Territory. -END