STA. LUCIA CELEBRATES WITH PINOYS AT LONDON BARRIO FIESTA
Festivities play a huge part in Philippine culture and tradition.
Birthdays, anniversaries, or practically any milestone are seen as an excuse to throw a celebration, in which families and friends gather to rekindle ties. No matter where Filipinos are, this natural penchant for social gatherings is never lost, as seen among overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who revel in festivities that offer a semblance of the fiestas celebrated back home.
It thus 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,” said Sta. Lucia Ventures Inc. CEO and EVP Liezel Tuason-Magpoc.
“Done in partnership with The Filipino Channel, this event has managed to continuously and successfully showcase Filipino culture. Indeed, it’s an entire weekend of pure Pinoy fun with performances from Kapamilya Stars,” she said.
After more than three decades, the London Barrio Fiesta continues to enjoy strong, solid support from the Filipino community. 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,” Tuason-Magpoc said.
One of the regular partici- pants 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.
“In 2011, we just wanted Filipinos in Europe to feel Sta. Lucia’s presence especially since that was our official start of operations in London and the whole of Europe. For several years, almost 90 percent of Sta. Lucia’s buyers were the OFWs. By joining the Barrio Fiesta, we are now directly in touch with our market,” Tuason-Magpoc shared.
“After the Barrio Fiesta of 2011, we opened our London office September of the same year. And now, we remain very much present in this part of the world. So for this year’s event, the goal remains the same—to convey the message that Sta. Lucia’s presence remains very strong and that we will always be a steady partner for many Filipinos who are still working on their dream of owning a home, or those who are eyeing a smart, practical and worthy investment,” she added.
The London Barrio Fiesta is a two-day event that will be held on July 21 to 22 at the Apps Court Farm, where an estimated 80,000 Filipinos from all over Europe are expected to join.
“Other developers have closed their offices already with only their agents representing them. But Sta. Lucia remains and continues to operate in Europe, ensuring Filipinos living or working there that we are always ready to serve them,” Tuason-Magpoc concluded.
The Sta. Lucia Group has developed over 10,000 hectares of land through more than 200 property projects over the past four decades. It currently has developments ranging from townships, golf communities, house and lot developments, mid- and high-rise condos, condotels, residential resorts and even commercial malls.