KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – For the first time, Filipinos in Malaysia commemorated last Sunday the 114th Philippine Independence Day anniversary, joined by a Malaysian princess and highlighted by eight colorful floats applauded by local folk downtown in this capital city.
“I think that apart from the Independence Day parade that Filipino communities hold in Park Avenue in New York, this is the only such parade held by Filipino communities in foreign countries,” Philippine ambassador to Malaysia Eduardo Malaya told Pampanga journalists who paid him a visit at the Philippine embassy here.
He said Malaysian Princess Jacel Kiram of Sulu joined the parade and other activities of the Independence Day rites.
The Kuala Lumpur Marching Band, and the Philippine Off-Road Land Rover Team, which came here specifically to join the commemoration, were also in the parade.
“The floats showcased the diversity and richness of Philippine culture in their colorful costumes and festive music,” Malaya noted, expressing hopes that the parade commemoration of Philippine Independence would be continued by the federation in the years to come.
He said, “We are happy and heartened that the Filipino-Malaysian community came out in force to celebrate our unique heritage, especially that we celebrate the 114th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine Independence.”
Malaya, who led the Independence Day activities, said 1,200 overseas Filipino workers here participated in the parade.
“This was made possible by the organization of 20 different Filipino groups based in Malaysia into the Federation of Filipino Associations in Malaysia (FFAM) with OFW Amializa Francisco being elected its president,” he said.
The parade ended at the Philippine embassy along Chang Kia Keng road where cultural presentations were held and Filipino foods were served.
The fight between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley was also aired live on television in the embassy where the festive atmosphere was temporarily broken by Pacquiao’s defeat.
Malaya said that peninsular Malaysia hosts about 40, 215 OFW’s, as he noted that lesser Filipinos are being recruited as domestic helpers. Two years ago, the Philippine and Malaysian government signed an agreement putting at $400 montly the minimum pay of Filipino domestic helpers.
He said that the policy has encouraged Malaysians to focus more the hiring of skilled and semi-skilled Filipino workers. The domestic workers are now outnumbered by 40,215 Filipinos working in local factories.
The latest count revealed 24,430 Filipino domestic helpers in Malaysia, but this number had declined from previous statistics, Malaya said, although he could not immediately cite previous figures.
Apart from the domestic helpers, embassy statistics revealed that peninsular Malaysia also hosts 3,001 other OFW’s in managerial, professional, and supervisory jobs, 2,095 more employed in plantation, agricultural, aquatic and forestry fields, 2,666 in information technology and electronics, 2,125 in oil and gas and, 2,721 in hotel, restaurant and tourism.
