The Girl Scouts of Brookfield held a fundraiser featuring a “Philippine Fair Day” at the West Whisconier Middle School on March 12, 3004.

Families and friends of the Girl Scouts enjoyed a festive evening of Filipino folk dances, fashion show, games, handicrafts and cuisine under the auspices of the Filipino-American Association of Western Connecticut (FAAWC).

The Hiyas ng Silangan dancers performed a number of folk dances, including the popular bamboo dance – the Tinikling. After the performance the audience was invited to try their feet and skill on the bamboo poles.


The young were only too eager to try the Tinikling.


The Girls Scouts also tried their hands at decorating Philippine “buri” fans and small handbags.


Jack Pretto and his classmates from Prospect, Conn. performed a strenuous folk dance with coconut shells known as the Maglalatik. It shows that American children can perform Filipino dances just as well.

“A Taste of the Philippines” booth served Filipino dishes such as pancit (rice noodles), chicken and pork adobo (marinated in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and pepper), empanadita (little breads with ground meat, etc. inside), and bibingka (rice cake).

 It was a cultural as well as a culinary experience for some 150 people who attended the fundraiser.

Brookfield’s Lynn Escedy broached the idea of a “Philippine fair” to the FAAWC, and the Filipino association responded whole-heartedly. Its president Chie Jardeleza, dance director Chona Trinidad and her assistant Lani Gonzales assembled and trained the members who participated in the project.

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