Remarkable Filipino and Korean talent was again front and center at the 2021 Philippines-Korea Cultural Exchange Festival last September 25, 2021.
Although still held online to ensure the safety of participants, the event organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, the United Korean Community Association (UKCA), and the Philippines’ National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) drew 103,000 views on the Korean Cultural Center of the Philippines YouTube Channel and Facebook Page.
This year, the PhilKor Festival commemorates the 30th year of friendship and cultural exchange between the Philippines and Korea. Aptly titled We Stand Together, it aims to remind Filipinos that the two countries stand hand-in-hand against the pandemic, which has been evident in the cultural and artistic presentations from both countries.
Hosted by Sam Oh, SB19’s Justin de Dios, and Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, the event counted viewers who witnessed not only traditional culture but also pop performances from YouTuber-singer Jin Ho Bae, TikTok sensation Mona, baritone and soprano tandem Byeong-in Park and Rachelle Gerodias, K-Pop dance diva Dasuri Choi and traditional performers Tago and PWU Indayog Gong Ensemble. P-pop groups 4th Impact, Alamat, and the globally recognized SB19 showed what true Filipino talent is about in their own segments.
To cap the show, the artists performed a virtual collaboration of the Korean song Evergreen Tree to show hope and inspiration in these trying times.
Apart from the performances, another much-awaited part of the show was the announcement of the Talent Contest winners. Homies were named Dance Category winner, while Julles was hailed as the Voice Category winner. AESIR PH won the Grand Winner award, taking home P50,000 in cash, while the Vocal Category and Dance Category winners received P30,000 each.
