Madison Avenue parade opens NY celebration of PH independence

Officers and staff of the Philippine Permanent Mission to the UN, Philippine Consulate General and Philippine Center New York march along Madison Avenue in celebration of the Philippine Independence Day. BOYET LOVERITA

NEW YORK – The annual Philippine Independence Day Parade, touted to be the world’s largest Independence Day commemoration outside of the Philippines, was successfully held with festivities, cultural shows and dances along New York’s Madison Avenue on June 2, 2019.

The celebration was spearheaded by the Philippine Independence Day Committee Inc. (PIDCI), with the cooperation of the Philippine Consulate General in New York.

Consul General Claro Cristobal (second from left), Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez (third from left), and Deputy Permanent Representative to UN Kira Christianne Danganan-Azucena (fourth from left), together with Marilou Cristobal (far left) and Michael Azucena (far right) lead the flag-raising ceremony. BOYET LOVERITA

This year, more than 120 Fil-Am groups and associations joined the parade and food fair, which started before noon at 38th St. and lasted until late afternoon with concerts and cultural presentations at Madison Square Park.

The officers and staff of the Philippine Permanent Mission to the UN, Philippine Consulate General, and the Philippine Center performed a surprise street dance presentation, which earned the applause of the crowd of Filipinos and Americans gathered to watch the parade.

PIDCI President Antero Martinez (from left), Honorary Grand Marshal Ireneo G. Alvaro, Grand Marshal Raul Estrellado, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez, Consul General Claro S. Cristobal, and Aries dela Cruz prepare to cut the ribbon to mark the start of the parade. BOYET LOVERITA

New York Senator Chuck Schumer and New York Rep. Carolyn Maloney joined the celebration while New York Governor Andrew Cuomo sent a proclamation presented by his representative, Aries dela Cruz, to Ambassador Jose Manuel G. Romualdez and Consul General Claro S. Cristobal.

Before the parade, a flag-raising ceremony and thanksgiving mass were held at the Philippine Center to mark the start of month-long Philippine Independence Day celebrations in the US northeast.