Sta Lucia celebrates London Barrio Fiesta
With Filipinos’ penchant for festivities, it comes as no surprise the resounding success that the London Barrio Fiesta enjoys year after year, given the strong support from the OFW community. Now on its 34th year, the London Barrio Fiesta was first held in 1985 in Holland Park, then organized by the Philippine Center, which was led by immigration advisor and journalist Gene Alcantara.
“The London Barrio Fiesta started out as a small gathering that aimed to bring together and capture the unique qualities and spectacles of the Philippine Fiesta. Due to its success and strong attendance, it has evolved and is now done in partnership with ABS-CBN,” explained Sta. Lucia Ventures Inc. CEO and EVP Liezel Tuason-Magpoc.
After more than three decades, the London Barrio Fiesta continues to enjoy strong, solid support from the Filipino community who would flock to the event to join the festivities and catch a glimpse of their favorite celebrities. Philippine companies too have started to participate to celebrate while showcasing their products and offerings, as they too recognize the huge potential from OFWs.
“The London Barrio Fiesta is participated by different sponsors that include Filipino companies based in the United Kingdom or visiting companies from the Philippines, all aiming to promote their businesses and products. Among the industries present in the event include real estate, insurance companies, remittance centers, Filipino food, crafts and many more. Pinoys and even the other nationalities attending the event are free to check out these companies and their products while having fun,” Tuason-Magpoc explained.
One of the regular participants is trusted property developer Sta. Lucia Land, which first joined the London Barrio Fiesta in 2011 in a bid to showcase its value for money projects as a potential investment for many OFWs. This was also the same time when the company decided to put up an office in London and other parts of Europe.