FCC The Hague-Netherlands hosted its 6^th Family Fun Day and Commemoration of Philippine Independence Day

By Agnes van de Beek-Pavia
The Hague-The Netherlands
June 16, 2016



The Hague:  Amidst the heavy rain on a Saturday morning, The Filipino Catholic Community in The Hague successfully hosted their 6^th Family Fun Day last June 11, 2016 at Westbroek Park in Scheveningen.  

This annual event, which was attended by Filipinos in and around The Hague together with their Dutch families and friends, was significantly organized to promote friendship and unity among its members. Eventually it aimed to enhance the existing network of Filipino- Dutch families and friends through fun meeting and recreational activities. The event was also the community’s expression of merriment and pride commemorating the Philippine Independence Day, which is celebrated in the Philippines every June 12.

This year’s Family Fun Day started with a special Mass officiated by Fr. Rex Fortes, a visiting Filipino priest from Leuven, Belgium. The crowd, squeezing themselves in the tents, was surprisingly unmindful of the rain showers and totally inspired instead by the priest’s humorous,   witty and passionate sermon.  It was not at all a sunny morning but the atmosphere was pleasantly warm.

Shortly after the community lunch, which was filled with a bountiful selection of Filipino dishes, the sun broke through producing a beautifully blue, clear afternoon.   The potluck lunch, which is traditionally the heart of every Filipino gathering, was a delightful sight of how casual, social and generous the Filipinos are.

The FCC Family Fun Day kicked off the start of a great Saturday afternoon at the Westbroek Park. The four competing teams pit their wits against one another over different team-building games.   Aside from bringing the community members and its friends together, the games also aimed to enhance social relations, leadership and team work among children and adults. 

This year’s competing teams engaged in exciting range of facilitated team building outdoor activities. Along with energy filled team games which included  chasing the dragon’s tail, obstacle relay and  pyramid building;  the teams also competed  in some good old-fashioned nonsense yet exciting group games such as sack race, big groundhog, baton relay and the old time favorite – tug of war. The teams’ coordination and team spirit were tested with “Funslang”, mine field and  “Zomerski” which made the crowd giggle, cheer and laugh from beginning to end. It was an afternoon of fun and bonding for young and old, with everyone cheering and jumping up and down for joy and excitement.

The Purple team bagged the first place this year with the Red, Blue and Green team ranking 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th respectively. Each participating team composed of children and adults received packs of selected Philippine-made food products as consolation prizes.  Toko 4 All donated a special prize for the winning team and it also sponsored prizes for the raffle draw. 

The hosting of this year’s Family Fun Day of the Filipino Catholic Community in The Hague was successfully organized through the joint efforts and the leadership of the church ministry coordinators with the active involvement of many individuals in the community.