Pasko sa Filcom

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Each year, the Filipino Community Center celebrates the holidays with a Pasko.  This included games, crafts, holistic Filipino traditional health, food, music, and dancing.  And of course, a karaoke contest.  

The energy was electric, fun.  Everyone was having a good time, from all different ages.


I learned the parol (star) is a central part of a Filipino Christmas, and is a notable and beautiful craft.  They had a contest for making parol out of recycled materials.  Here is a post from the contest.  Here is the song from that post.


Since most Filipinos in Waipahu are descended from people who speak Ilocano (from the northern part of the Philippines), I stopped by the Ilocano language table.  Most of the Filipinos in my church are such descendants.

This year, they invited me to coordinate the interfaith service.  So, I invited some friends to help lead it.  We had a great time, including readings in English, Tagalog, and Ilocano.  At the end of our portion, we led the crowd in singing Feliz Navidad (which everyone knew and many danced).  I didn't get a video of our singing with the crowd, but this video will give you a sense of how popular it is in Filipino culture :-)

The Filipino Community Center was founded in 2002, as a way to preserve and advance Filipino culture on O`ahu and throughout Hawai`i.  It hosts countless programs and celebrations that do just that.

Some of the friends I recruited for the Pasko.  Do they look familiar? 

Lori & Scott Hurd, two more friends that participated. 
They are missionaries with the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, located in Waipahu


Below is the text of the original poem Dr. Parato wrote for our interfaith mass:

Pasko Sa Puso

By Dr Marlon Parato
Copyright © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Ano ba ang Diwa ng Pasko? Napag isip ako.

Sa buhay na maraming pagbabago.

Sa bilis ny panahon kung tumakbo.

Sa mga bagay na paroon at parito.

Nalilito ako sa tunay na diwa ng Pasko

 

Makikinang na ilaw, masasayang tugtugin.

Magarang kasuotan sa pasko ay susuutin.

Pagtitipon, Kainan, kwentuhan at may katahan din.

Sa piling ng mga kaibigan wala ng hahanapin.

 

Ang saya ng Pasko! Ang Pasko ay dumating na!

Parol na nakasabit, pinagmamasdan sa tuwina !

Regalong aking ibibigay at regaling naghihintay na.

Sa piling ng mahal sa buhay may sigla at saya.

Lalo na’t namasyal pa sa lugar na maganda.

 

Subalit ano nga ba ang diwa Pasko ?

Sa gitna ng pagka abala napag isip ako.

Ito bay araw ng kasiyahan kaya dapat magpakasaya ?

Ikaw ay imbitado kaya’t dumalo ka?

Panahon ng pagbibigayan kaya’t mag regalo ka?

Ano ba ang Pasko, ito ba’y mahalaga?

Ang aking pagatatanong, napadpad sa Panalangin.

Sa kaulugan ny Pasko, ako po ay gabayin.

Buksan ang aking puso’t isipan at ako ay gamitin.

At nawa ang tunay na Pasko ang maghari sa akin.

 

Ang Diwa ng Pasko ay diwa nang Pag ibig.

Magmahal ka dahil ikaw ay unang inibig.

Magbigay ka dahil ikaw ay biniyayaan.

Magpatawad ka dahil mga kasalanan mo’y kanyang kinalimutan.

Buhay ialay para sa Diyos dahil ang Diyos ang nagbigay ng Buhay.

 

Sa darating na Pasko, ay alam ko na!

Pananampalataya sa Diyos at pagmamahal sa kapwa.

Higit pa sa regalo at ingay ng saya.

Pag ibig ng Diyos taglay ay pag asa.

 

Merry Christmas Everyone!

 



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