More fun in Bel-Air through Pasinaya

Philippine tourism’s tagline “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” has become quite popular, such that even judges in beauty pageants are incorporating it into their questions. In the recent Bb. Pilipinas pageant, US Ambassador Harry Thomas asked a contestant: “How would you show foreigners that it is more fun in the Philippines?”

But even before that tagline entered the public’s consciousness, the spirit it embodies was already being celebrated by the people of Barangay Bel-Air in Makati through an annual celebration known as the Pasinaya. A three-day event, it is made up of various activities including a trade fair, a Gabi ng Kasambahay, activities for the children and a grand dance showcase where all the residents take part. This year, the Pasinaya will be held on May 4, 5 and 6 and will revolve around the theme Number one in fun!

Susan Calo-Medina, a long-time Bel-Air resident and creative director of the event, along with renowned stage director and writer Floy Quintos (who has been spearheading it for the last 12 years) explains how they came up with the theme. “We wanted to be in sync (with the government’s tourism campaign). So we took the slogan and turned it around. This year, we proclaim that ‘Bel-Air is number one in fun!’”

Tita Nene Lichauco, Barangay Bel-Air’s affable and gracious kapitana, was the one who came up with the idea for the Pasinaya in 1993. She first moved to the village in the early ’70s, and even then, it was obvious to her that the residents of Bel-Air — which encompasses Bel-Air Village, Salcedo Village, the Ayala Triangle and the Malugay area (up to Ayala Ave.) — had a strong sense of community. Young people would gather on the basketball court in the afternoons to play; members of the community’s Board of Directors were all friends. Residents knew their neighbors. Since then, that sense of community has become stronger, and the barangay has grown and prospered. Then the Pasinaya was born.

“We wanted to have an activity that would be our way of returning the blessings that the community has received. It started as a community day when I was still with the (Bel-Air Village) association. The Pasinaya is a fiesta, but more than that, it’s a thanksgiving for all the graces and benefits we have received from the Lord and which have been given to our community. But it was very simple then,” Tita Nene says.

Nene with Pet Bautista.

Through the years, the Pasinaya has grown and evolved into a major community activity. For the dance showcase which is the culminating activity of the three-day affair, over a hundred residents of all ages take part in specially-choreographed numbers. They start preparing for the Pasinaya as early as January, and by February, they are already rehearsing for the special numbers to be staged during the dance showcase, which will take place at 7 p.m. on Day 3. This year, Tita Nene estimates that about 180 residents of the barangay will be joining the dances. And no one gets left out because of age because participants in the dance showcase range from three to 83 years old. Some celebrities and famous personalities who live in Barangay Bel-Air, like Dominic Ochoa and former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza and his wife (who have a daughter who also lives there), also take part. The Atienzas, in fact, will be dancing this year. Their son Kuya Kim will be bringing some of his exotic animals to show to the kids. Other activities lined up this year include a cheerdance competition for the youth, a pa-Bingo, free kalesa rides, a children’s treat billed Mas Masaya Maging Bata sa Bel-Air and performances by groups like The CompanY.

The true centerpiece of the Pasinaya is the dance showcase. It is a grand production, costumes and all, and Barangay Bel-Air residents really get into the spirit of the thing. This is an activity that would not only interest the elders of the barangay. Even the young people will participate — thanks to the conscious effort of the barangay officials to get the youth involved by creating activities they would be interested in. For the dance showcase, this meant incorporating music and dances that would appeal more to young people. In fact, one of the numbers will be choreographed to the tune of Moves Like Jagger. “The Pasinaya has also to grow. We wanted the young people to come and join us. So we began to make the shows a bit more modern and contemporary,” explains Kapitana Lichauco. “While the senior members got their Filipiniana and ballroom numbers, the younger ones got their hip-hop, their jazz, their interpretative numbers.”

Ope Lopez and Geny Bautista.

Young or old, long-time resident or just transient, the people of Barangay Bel-Air don’t need to be forced to take part in the Pasinaya. It is something they look forward to every year, and according to Bel-Air Village Association chairman Eriberto de Guzman, they feel bad if they don’t get to join.  “The young ones are the ones asking to be included in the dances, and if you look at the growth, in 1993, some of them started dancing at age four, and they’re 23 or 24 now. They grew with the Pasinaya and they’re really embedded in it. They feel bad if they’re not included in a dance. All my grandchildren join. They look at themselves growing with the Pasinaya. They enjoy it so much.”

So this year, Tita Nene and her group are expecting another massive turnout of residents. However, they wish to emphasize that the Pasinaya is not an exclusive event meant only for residents of Barangay Bel-Air or even Makati. Everyone is welcome, even those who live in other parts of Metro Manila. “We were never exclusive. We’re always open and friendly to all,” says the Kapitana. “It (the Pasinaya) is open to everybody, foreigners or locals. We even encourage the transients and people who are renting here in Barangay Bel-Air to participate. This is for everybody.”