The first leg of the double parade Sunday was the always colorful and festive Philippine Independence Day Parade. Thousands of parade revelers lined up the parade route on Madison Avenue from 37th to 26th streets to cheer for their people and display part of their culture. Parade organizers, PIDC and their VIPs led the way to the reviewing stand and judges table on 28th Street. This years theme was Celebrating Cultural Diversity with Global Solidarity. Many of the colorful dance groups displayed signs with that theme. This was the 32nd version of the parade that celebrated the many islands that make up the Philippines independence from Spain 124 years ago. Many marchers dressed quite elegantly but there was always a tribal twist which makes this such a great parade to watch.
The parade has always been a proud display of Filipino contribution to American society whether it be in medicine, engineering, or the arts. Plenty of marching groups displayed their banners in solidarity. The tribal dance groups are always a fan favorite and kicking things off were the GIUSA dance group. They were fun to watch. A newer group that is devoted to keeping everyone fit was the Zumba group. Some of the dance groups had amazing colorful costumes with the lead dancer holding a statue of the nino Santo (baby Jesus). One group that got everyone worked up was the D’Haven group. They were amazing. Closing out the parade were the Cebu dancers with the most colorful of all the costumes. This truly is an amazing and fun parade and a NY gem. After 2 years of no in person parades due to Covid19, it was great to see the Filipinos march with elegance and pride.
NYC Parade Life 