Chicago, Illinois – June 9, 2011.  The Passport to the Philippines is part of the Passport to the World series at the Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier that showcases the arts and traditions of Chicago’s many ethnic groups.  This year, the Passport to the Philippines will be celebrated the weekend of June 11 and 12, 2011 with a kick off event on June 9. 

The organizing Passport to the Philippines committee will present a series of programs, performances, workshops and exhibits that authentically represents Filipino culture and traditions.  Planned events include a parade of costumes, a taste of the Philippines including a healthier version of halo halo, a traditional Filipino dessert, and demonstrations of martial arts and traditional children’s games.  Filipino American artists, teachers, students, and volunteers will be on hand to greet and help museum’s visitors with ongoing activities.  Participants include students from area schools and colleges, civic groups, music bands and rondalla, martial arts experts, dance and performing arts companies, and cultural and historical associations.

The Philippines joined the Passport to the World program at the Chicago Children’s Museum in June 2008.  The Passport to Philippines is now in its fourth year and will be held on the second weekend of June to celebrate the Philippine Independence Day on June 12.  Special presentations are planned to commemorate Jose Rizal’s 150 year anniversary. The Philippines was chosen to be included the Passport series because the Filipino American community has a sizable ethnic presence and rich historical contributions to the diversity of Chicago neighborhoods.

For a complete list of participants and event schedule, please visit http://passporttophilippines.org/default.aspx.

Passport to the Philippines committee is co-sponsored by PepsiCo Asian Network (PAN), Filipino American Community Health Initiative of Chicago (FACHIC), Filipino American Historical Society of Chicago (FAHSC), Filipino American Network (FAN), National Association of Filipino Americans Associations (NAFFAA), Philippine American Cultural Foundation (PACF), the University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Greater Chicago (UPAAGC) and TUY Club USA.

The Filipino American Community Health Initiative of Chicago (FACHIC) is a collaborative of community, health professional, and academic leaders united to address Filipino health issues in the Chicago area.  The mission of FACHIC is to increase awareness of Filipino health disparities and to implement health interventions and educational programming to improve the health status of the Filipino community.  FACHIC is a 501(c)(3) Illinois nonprofit organization.  All programs and services are free and available to all.  For more information, visit http://www.fachic.org.

###