Typhoon survivors to show fighting spirit at Chingay
A dance troupe comprising young survivors of a devastating typhoon that hit the Philippines in November 2013 will be performing at this year's Chingay parade.
The 100 dancers, aged between 14 and 25, are from different municipalities in the Visayas group of islands.
The region was hit hardest by Typhoon Haiyan, which claimed more than 6,000 lives and destroyed more than a million homes.
Mr Jan Kairel Guillermo told The Straits Times yesterday that the troupe will be performing a traditional Filipino war dance known as the Dance of the Pintados, to demonstrate how they rose above the tragedy to emerge stronger.
"People may say that we have already lost everything, but our dance shows them it is actually just the start of everything," added the 25-year-old artistic director of the group known as Leyteam.
Mr Guillermo is from the island of Leyte, where 90 per cent of Tacloban City was destroyed.
Leyteam is among 10 foreign troupes who will perform at this year's Chingay parade, with the other groups from countries such as Cambodia, South Korea, Indonesia and China.
The main parade will feature 6,500 performers from more than 50 local and foreign contingents. The parade will take place tonight and tomorrow night.
Mr Guillermo, who was part of the Chingay 2018 production crew, reached out to the organising committee to have his team of dancers perform at this year's parade.
Singapore Chingay and Events Network director Julian Aw said the committee was impressed by the fighting spirit of the young survivors and decided to include them.
One of the Leyteam dancers, Mr Marco Paolo Chumacara, said: "The dance reminds us that we are a strong people. A warrior people."
The 24-year-old added that the performance is also a show of appreciation. He said: "We are also using this dance to thank the people of Singapore who helped us with donations to rebuild (our lives)."
In the wake of the disaster, Singapore Red Cross raised more than $10 million for victims of Typhoon Haiyan in about three months.
Leyteam's energetic dance ends with all 100 performers yelling: "Thank you, Singapore!"
The performance also commemorates 50 years of bilateral relations between Singapore and the Philippines and is symbolic of the friendship between the two nations.
The Chingay parade this year coincides with the Singapore bicentennial, which commemorates the 200th anniversary of Sir Stamford Raffles' arrival here in 1819.
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