Whenever May rolls around, Filipinos across the country celebrate a centuries-long tradition as a devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the public’s Catholic faith. Known as Flores De Mayo, Spanish for “the flowers of May,” the festival lasts for the entire month, and participants wear pageant-like dresses as they parade through the town streets.
Lavishly decorated floats or arches, complete with colorful flowers, accompany the participants through their route.
Enchanted Kingdom, an amusement park in Santa Rosa, Laguna, returned its twist to the Philippine festival through Flores De Laguna 2022. The celebration honors the motherland, the people’s staunch devotion to religion, and the beauty and talent of Filipinos in pageantry and design.
Flores De Laguna is an annual celebration at Enchanted Kingdom but abruptly stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two years later, the well-loved amusement park reinstated the event to delight its guests and honor the values they stand for.
“Here in Enchanted Kingdom, we’re more than just the rides. We also want to build national pride. Many of our events are not just for entertainment; we want to build national pride and appreciate our culture,” said Enchanted Kingdom’s Chief Operating Officer Cynthia Mamon during the event proper last Sunday, May 22.
During the Flores De Laguna 2022, Enchanted Kingdom partnered with The Designers Circle Philippines (DCP) – Laguna to showcase 20 head-turning pieces from local, talented designers.
Twenty models, chosen by the designers themselves, wore meaningfully and carefully crafted pieces as they sashayed throughout the park to delight their guests.
A common theme throughout the pieces is the color purple which symbolizes wisdom, bravery, and spirituality, among other things. However, each designer had their vision, which they translated into textured gowns, intricate patterns, and bejeweled bodices. They also incorporated iconic Filipino fashion trends, like the pagoda sleeves distinct to many Filipiniana dresses.
Moreover, the designers also drew inspiration from flowers, like orchids, to create unique silhouettes, patterns, and textures in their dresses.
Enchanted Kingdom also treated guests to a song and dance performance from their female and male entertainment groups, Victoria’s Way and Kingsmen, respectively. They also demonstrated Filipino talent as they wowed guests with their vocals and dance moves.
Filipinos are known for their religious devotion and adherence to well-loved traditions like the Flores De Mayo parade. In Enchanted Kingdom, they merge all these values and train the spotlight on Filipino artistry and talents through their meaningful events meant for everyone to enjoy.