Embassy, Filipinos in Norway celebrate ‘Paskong Pinoy’
THE Filipino brand of Christmas cheer crossed continents as the Philippine Embassy in Norway, together with the Filipino community in the Scandinavian country, came together in an evening of music and gift-giving at the Paskong Pinoy 2022 inside the Filadelfia International Church Main Hall in Oslo.
Addressing the crowd of almost 1,200, Ambassador Enrico T. Fos said that the Paskong Pinoy is a three-inone event mounted by all-volunteer effort, aimed at bringing a slice of “Pinoy Christmas” in faraway Norway.
“First, it is a choral festival [of] the beautiful music and voices of the participating church choirs,” said Fos. “Second, it is a food bazaar of Filipino Christmas delicacies; and third, it is a gift-giving event, where we have plenty of door prizes and a ‘pamaskong handog’ for some of our nationals, as selected by our participating choirs.”
“Paskong Pinoy… is a way for the Philippine Embassy to bring together this over a thousand-strong crowd— the biggest so far in an embassy initiated event—and showcase our unique brand of Christmas here in Norway,” he added.
Eight choirs composed of Filipinos from various churches in Oslo and surrounding environs showcased their talents and musicality in a concert which featured a wide array of Christian and Christmas songs. They were supported by their church leaders, who watched proudly among the crowd.
Since it was also a gift-giving celebration, individuals nominated by the choirs were given bags of Christmas and Filipino goodies. It was part of the Philippine government’s assistance to overseas Filipinos, the Department of Foreign Affairs-office of Migrant Workers Affairs, and the embassy.
The event also featured a bazaar, where Filipino delicacies, products and other Christmas favorites were sold by representatives of the choirs.
Apart from showcasing the Filipino kind of Christmas in Norway, Fos hoped that the Paskong Pinoy would further strengthen the sense of community among Filipinos in Norway: “We at the embassy hope to count on your support as we hold events, [as well as] other programs and initiatives over the next years.”
The ambassador also recognized the efforts of more than 200 volunteers who helped mount the event, mostly staffed by volunteers from the Filipino community. The organizing committee also received support from various Filipino-owned companies and community members in the European country.
“...Also remarkable in [the event] was not just the sheer number of volunteers, but also the display of bayanihan spirit,” Fos observed.