SYDNEY – Lakas Filipina Incorporated exhibited its Marian devotion with the inaugural Mayflower Festival held at Rosemeadows, New South Wales on 1 May 2021 sponsored by QFirst Invest Sydney Australia.
Mayflower Festival or Flores de Mayo is a Filipino tradition of offering flowers to the Virgin Mary. Devotees assembled at Rizal Park for the Sagala (maiden in bright and colourful dresses) procession which honours the finding of the True Cross of Christ Jesus by Queen Helena of Constantinople and Constantine the Great (Santacruzan).
Various members of the Filipino-Australian community took part in this colourful flower parade. Flower offering to the Virgin Mary and a Mass followed suit which was officiated by Fr Christopher Sarkis. The Blacktown Band provided the processional music while the Heartstrings Choir led and enlivened the occasion.
ABOUT LAKAS FILIPINA Inc.
Lakas Filipina Incorporated is a non-for-profit organisation registered under the Office of the Fair Trading in Sydney, Australia. The organisation was established on 30 December 2019 by Filipina community leaders with Dr Elsa Collado as its founding president. The organisation aims to support and empower Filipino-Australian women. It intends to spread positivity and good vibes in the community.
It aspires to grow, uplift, inspire, develop and impact the lives of women and girls in mainstream Australia by reaching out and extending support to influence the lives of every girl and woman where they feel their value to the community. The primary goal is for women to help women, this also encompasses all genders, race and nationality. The support of Lakas Filipina is not just limited to the main intent of helping women but extending to all types of appeals. Lakas Filipina Inc. partners with different organisations in order to extend assistance to those who are in need. It also closely ties with the Philippine Consulate General in Sydney on various humanitarian services.
Early this year, Lakas Filipina Inc. celebrated International Women’s Day with an Empowerment Forum held at Leumeah with key speakers focusing on women’s role in the family and business sector as well as living healthy and mindful in this ever changing world. The organisation also collaborated with Association of Pinoy Students in Australia to assist Filipino International Students who are having difficulty in coping with the pandemic thru their Feed-The-Students-Program. The organisation was a major sponsor of Teatro Tomasino Alumni Association’s hybrid theater digicast production, KUNG PAANO MAGHIWALAY. The production supported Josefheim foundation which provides for the poor, sick and elderly who also lost their homes due to the recent typhoon in the Philippines.
For enquiries, further information or collaboration, Lakas Filipina Inc. can be contacted via its official Facebook page and/or directly through its President at elsacollado1@gmail.com.
