The Migrants Arirang Multicultural Festival -- Korea’s largest celebration for foreign residents -- was held in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, from Oct. 5-7, feting Korea’s multiculturalism through art, dance, music and food.

This year’s event featured the Philippines as the main host, with numerous Filipino government officials and citizens participating, including the Philippines Department of Tourism-Korea and the Philippine Agriculture Office in Seoul.

“Korea has become a multicultural society consisting of Filipino and other foreign workers. The festival is a platform for these people and Koreans to embrace Korea’s multicultural diversity and live together in peaceful harmony,” said Philippine Ambassador Raul S. Hernandez.

“This celebration is meaningful to Filipinos as it allows us to share our culture through arts, music and food with locals. We hope that foreign workers who make valuable and productive contributions here will be treated equally, and that this event serves to convey our will to protect their rights and promote their well-being.”

The Philippine Community Association in Korea took part in a parade with traditional costumes and performances representing the country’s Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao regions. The event also featured a raffle with round-trip tickets to the Philippines, brochures on Philippine tourism and photo zones.

“Koreans have become more interested in Philippine culture recently. I hope they will be more interested in diverse tourist attractions of our country, including Boracay’s beautiful nature and wellness programs,” said Philippines Department of Tourism-Korea Director Maria Corazon Jorda Apo.

By Joel Lee (joel@heraldcorp.com)