Bacolod Masskara Continues To Wow New York At Independence Day Parade

The Bacolod contingent of Filipino-Americans continue to wow the crowd with their Masskara Street Dance in this year's edition of the Philippine Independence Day parade in New York. Filipino Americans and supporters gather to yearly to celebrate the anniversary of the Declaration of Philippine Independence with a colorful parade on Manhattan's Madison Avenue.

Bacolod Masskara New York Edition, spearheaded by Ms. Imelda Gargarita, has been a three-peat winner in the Independence day parade, winning consecutively 2012, 2013, and 2014.

The parade is spearheaded by the Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI) which is an umbrella organization of Filipino American associationns based on the East Coast. It is principally dedicated to promoting history, the cultural heritage and traditions of the Filipino people through the celebration of Philippine Independence Day, hence, the name. But there is more to PIDCI than its name implies.

Since the fall of 1989 Filipino American organizations have come together to plan, design, and prepare for an all-day paradei, cultural show and street fair that showcase the sounds and spectacle of participating contigents, and the discovery of an array of Filipino musical and performing arts talents.Initiated by the Philippine Consulate General in New York under Consul General Herminigildo Garcia, the creation of the Philippine Independence Day committee was formed with the accomplished community leaders primarily from the states of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut from which the Overall Chairpersons were elected. The first PIDCI celebration eventually occurred on June 17, 1990 that featured a street fair and cultural presentation along 45th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues and a mini-parade in from of the Consulate winding at the 45th Street, which turned out to be a huge success.

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