Cagayan de Oro hosts Southeast Asia’s first Global Bubble Parade

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – The first ever Global Bubble Parade (GBP) in Southeast Asia was held at Xavier Ecoville on May 29.

The Bubble Parade is an international movement of passionate individuals who spread the belief that “happiness is the journey, not the destination” by holding peaceful local parades of soap bubbles, according to organizers.

Aimed at promoting resiliency, diversity, and positive interactions within communities, the Bubble Parade is the brainchild of the 100happydays Foundation.

Localizing happiness

Xavier Ecoville took part in the Kagay-anon version of the parade dubbed “Ambit Kalipay,” which means “share happiness”.

Four years ago, Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan and the local government established Xavier Ecoville as the resettlement village for the victims of Typhoon Sendong, which left thousands of families homeless.

Today, Ecoville stands as a testament to the resiliency of the families who survived the calamity.

After the parade, the festival continued with games and an array of performances by local talents and the children of Xavier Ecoville.  To ensure that everyone went home with a smile, the kids were given ice cream.

“I think we have achieved our set goals — to hold the first-ever Bubble Parade in the Philippines,” said Evans Rosauro I Yonson, overall director of GBP-PH.

“It may not have been that grand but seeing the faces of the children with their bubbles is already a clear indication that our event was a success,” Yonson said, adding that the activity made him realize that happiness can always create ripples of positivity when shared.

More than your Happiness Heroes

“Ambit Kalipay” was hosted by the Ridge-to-Reef Young Leaders Camp, a project that sprung from the Seeds for the Future Grant of the US Department of State’s Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI).

Held from December 2015 to March 2016, the 4-phase camp gathered young leaders from all over Bukidnon and Cagayan de Oro City to deepen their awareness on the environmental issues and their appreciation for the interconnectedness of the mountains, rivers, and seas.

Other than the parade, the organizers of the Ridge-to-Reef Young Leaders Camp will also host an event called “TREEE” (Engage, Express, Exchange) on June 4.

As part of the YSEALI YOUnified for #1Earth Campaign, the program aims to raise youth participation for the environment through the following:

1. Engage: Coastal Cleanup
2. Express: Art for eARTh Exhibit
3. Exchange: Open talks on the present environmental issues.

More than 200,000 people in over 60 countries across the world joined this year “to build more resilient and diverse communities, to increase awareness about personal well-being and to create positive interactive experience between the city and its inhabitants.” – Rappler.com

For partnership and volunteering opportunities, you may email the team: ridge2reefylc@gmail.com.

Rezza Mae Tolinero and Jan Michael Amper are graduates of Development Communication at Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan, actively volunteering in community development projects in Cagayan de Oro City.