{"id":896379,"date":"2026-09-15T07:22:21","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T07:22:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/896379\/"},"modified":"2026-09-15T07:22:21","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T07:22:21","slug":"jericho-rosales-draws-crowds-to-philippine-festival-mississauga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/896379\/","title":{"rendered":"Jericho Rosales draws crowds to Philippine Festival Mississauga"},"content":{"rendered":"

Philippine Festival Mississauga<\/a>\u00a0opened its 15th anniversary celebration on Sept. 11, with crowds gathering at Celebration Square and\u00a0Filipino actor Jericho Rosales<\/a>\u00a0taking centre stage as the night\u2019s headliner.<\/p>\n

The three-day festival runs from Sept. 11 to 13, bringing together Filipino and non-Filipino attendees for performances, food, shopping and activities across the square.<\/p>\n

Friday\u2019s theme, \u201cEuphoria at the Square: A Night of Colour and Sound,\u201d turned the opening day into a party night featuring heritage beats, DJs, drag performers and live entertainment.<\/p>\n

Rosary Esca\u00f1o, program, marketing and experiences lead for Philippine Festival Mississauga, said reaching 15 years is a milestone made possible by the people and organizations that continue to support the festival.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re so incredibly grateful for all the support that people have shown us: partners, sponsors, volunteers, vendors, organizers and for everyone coming out,\u201d Esca\u00f1o said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wouldn\u2019t be here if not for the support of everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Jericho Rosales performs onstage during the opening night of Philippine Festival Mississauga at Celebration Square. Photo by Luis Miguel De Castro<\/p>\n

Throughout Friday, attendees moved between different booths offering Filipino products, community resources and other services.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Food vendors also drew visitors looking for Filipino dishes and treats as the festival offered activities beyond its main stage.<\/p>\n

The square included an amphitheatre movie night and an acoustic night at the Ube Cafe, while other areas offered activities and experiences for different ages.<\/p>\n

Esca\u00f1o said organizers wanted this year\u2019s milestone festival to make more use of Celebration Square rather than center everything around its main stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are so many activities and performances that we lined up,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have headliners and unique performances for each day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Jericho Rosales performs in front of a packed crowd at the Philippine Festival Mississauga. Photo by Luis Miguel De Castro<\/p>\n

\"\"Jericho Rosales raises his microphone toward the crowd during his headline performance. Photo by Luis Miguel De Castro<\/p>\n

\"\"Fans watch and record Jericho Rosales during his headline performance at Philippine Festival Mississauga. Photo by Luis Miguel De Castro<\/p>\n

\"\"Festivalgoers gather in front of the main stage during Philippine Festival Mississauga\u2019s opening night at Celebration Square. Photo by Luis Miguel De Castro<\/p>\n

Other activities over the weekend include\u00a0PawFest Sauga<\/a>, movie screenings and sports stations involving\u00a0Raptors 905<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Philippine Baseball Group Canada<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo not just the main stage, but throughout the square. We activated the entire square,\u201d Esca\u00f1o said.<\/p>\n

The decision to make Friday a party-focused opening night followed the response organizers received when Philippine Festival Mississauga first introduced Friday programming last year.<\/p>\n

Esca\u00f1o said organizers did not anticipate how many people would attend or how long they would stay.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t expect the number of people, and that they stayed until 11 and they felt it wasn\u2019t enough,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

That response helped inspire Euphoria at the Square, giving attendees a place to unwind after the workweek while celebrating Filipino culture through music and entertainment.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re adding to that by giving them entertainment and music that will allow them to unwind, enjoy and have fun,\u201d Esca\u00f1o said.<\/p>\n

\"\"Rosary Escano, program, marketing and experiences lead for Philippine Festival Mississauga, speaks onstage during the festival. Photo by Luis Miguel De Castro<\/p>\n

The main highlight came when Jericho Rosales took the stage as the opening-night headliner, drawing festivalgoers toward the main stage for one of the evening\u2019s most anticipated performances.<\/p>\n

The festival also provided Filipino entrepreneurs an opportunity to showcase their work.<\/p>\n

Among the vendors was\u00a0AKI\u2019s Bayong<\/a>, owned by Maricel Salvador.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The business began by selling traditional bayong bags and has since expanded to include Filipiniana clothing, barong and parol.<\/p>\n

Salvador said participating in Filipino festivals allows her to promote products tied to the country\u2019s traditions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe promote our own culture,\u201d Salvador said. \u201cWe carry our Filipino traditions, especially bayong.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Parol and other Filipino-inspired items are displayed at AKI\u2019s Bayong during Philippine Festival Mississauga. Photo by Luis Miguel De Castro<\/p>\n

Salvador makes the bayong herself and sometimes customizes bags for customers at events.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Her parols have also attracted attention from festivalgoers, with the lanterns nearly selling out at last year\u2019s Philippine Festival Mississauga.<\/p>\n

One customer who couldn\u2019t get one last year returned early this year to reserve a parol, Salvador said.<\/p>\n

For her, having Filipino businesses alongside the festival\u2019s food, music and cultural programming is another way to show the wider community what Filipinos have to offer.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a pride to be able to promote our own culture to the world,\u201d Salvador said. \u201cHow creative, how artistic we are.\u201d<\/p>\n

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