An awesome Aussie Christmas parade

There’s definitely no stopping Christmas in the land Down Under as thousands of revelers filled the streets of George in Sydney on Nov. 30 to witness the second Sydney Christmas Parade, touted as the most spectacular public event since the 2000 Summer Olympics.

Fun-loving Aussies with their kids in tow trooped to the parade grounds as early as 9 a.m. to secure the best place to watch the revelry modeled after Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in New York.

Over 40 giant floats, stilt walkers, acrobats, baton twirlers, clowns, and giant animal inflatables accompanied Darth Vader and Princess Leia as they marched down the 1.9-km. route along George St., past the Sydney Town Hall, into Liverpool Street and down to Santa’s Village at Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbor for the post-parade family party.

It was a wondrous sight to see larger-than-life characters take flight right before your eyes. The giant inflatables, reportedly from the Macy’s Parade, such as the Marching Humpty Dumpty, Candy Cane, the Newspaper Dog Balloon, Black Raven, Robert the Reindeer, Superstar Express Locomotive, and Vegetable Balloon, among others, brought cries of delight from children who lined the streets.

The crowd also cheered as our very own Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company, and the Karansa Performing Arts of Cebu gave rousing performances that kept parade participants and spectators in high spirits.

The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) joined the parade for the second time after rave reviews of its participation at the inaugural parade last year.

“Through the Sydney Christmas Parade, we want to give the Australians a chance to be blown away by our rich Christmas tradition, complete with music and choreographed dancing, exquisite costume design and homegrown Christmas décor,” enthuses Tourism Undersecretary for Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque Jr. “We are happy to be among the pioneering spirit of the Sydney Christmas Parade.”

The annual parade is an opportunity for the Philippines to draw on the country’s accessibility and proximity to Australia as captured by the DOT’s Australian market slogan, “So Much, So Near.”

“Our 7,107 islands are only seven hours away from Australia,” notes Jarque.

The Philippine float showcased the country’s rich, old-world cultural heritage with a huge “bahay na tisa (stone house)” as its highlight.

“The float, which is a two-story replica of a centuries-old Spanish ancestral house, is a ‘traveling theater’ that captures the Christmas spirit of a town setting from different, moving angles,” explains Tourism Attaché Consuelo Jones.

It took Jones and her team six months to prepare and conceptualize everything.

“Well, that’s because we don’t have a huge number of people working on it. As much as possible, we try to limit the funding but work hard to get the best results and exposure. Thank goodness for our kababayans based in Sydney who offered their help. The bottom line is to get the name of the Philippines out there,” she says with a grin.

Members of the Filipino Australian Movement for Empowerment (FAME) such as Dominic Baylon, Dennis Laczamana, Philip Lastica, Caesar Bartolome, Manny Roux, and Gerry Babilonia were on hand to ensure that the flow of the parade ran smoothly.

In a rare treat, performances by the Bayanihan brought the eye-popping vision of the Christmas fiesta to life. Clad in lavish costumes, the dancers hit the ground with smiles on their faces as they danced non-stop to a medley of Philippine Christmas carols.

“At first, we toyed with the idea of presenting Filipino folk songs and dances, which are a big hit among Australians. We scrapped the plan right away when we realized that we would be performing in a Christmas parade. We have to present fun and upbeat numbers to make the celebration more festive,” explains Melito Vale Cruz, music director of the Bayanihan.

Simultaneously performing with the Bayanihan are the energetic street dancers of the Karansa Performing Arts, an award-winning dance troupe from the province of Cebu. The “higantes,” the 12-foot-tall giants made out of papier maché, were also a hit among merrymakers.

A post-parade family party was held at the Tumbalong Park where the country’s premiere dance troupes also performed. The Philippine booth, decked with kipings and colorful Christmas lanterns, was swarmed with locals inquiring about the must-see destinations in our country.

To round off the merriment, the DOT and The Sunday Telegraph raffled off Philippine Airlines (PAL) tickets for two to the Philippines with hotel accommodations at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza.

“The winners will also be treated to a historic tour of Intramuros, a cultural tour of Manila, and food trip around the metro,” says Rica Bueno, DOT Team head of Asia-Pacific.

The Sydney Christmas Parade, co-sponsored by Australia’s biggest selling newspaper, The Sunday Telegraph, is for the benefit of the Country Women’s Association, a group that helps disaster-stricken areas; Careflight, a non-profit group that provides rapid response emergency services; and Mycause, a social enterprise that allows charities, volunteer organizations and community groups to utilize the power of the Internet.

“Our country’s participation in the Sydney Christmas Parade last year was a story, but this one is an epic,” adds Jones about the 80-man delegation in this year’s parade, half of which were flown directly from the Philippines. “The Philippines is still a voyage for discovery for most travelers but this will give a larger-than-life glimpse of its rich and diverse culture and heritage.”

DOT’s marketing salvo, Jones adds, capitalizes on the exceptional mix, the world-class beaches and warm hospitality found in our islands, which are highly accessible, making the country the ultimate getaway for adventure-seeking Australian tourists.

Australia ranks as the country’s seventh largest source of visitor arrivals. A total of 76,048 Australian tourists visited the country between January and September 2007. This figure reflects a 9.7 percent growth rate over the same period last year.

“Indeed, 2008 is a busy year for the Department of Tourism but we don’t mind that at all. Promotions like this is what keeps tourists knocking on our door,” adds Jones.