Santacruzan and Harana Singing Contest 2025
Banyuhay Aotearoa, a registered New Zealand charitable trust managed by Filipinos based in different parts of Aotearoa, is excited to announce the return of our flagship fundraising event, Santacruzan sa Aotearoa 2025. This year’s event will be held on the 24th of May, from 11 AM at the Mount Eden War Memorial Hall in Auckland.
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As we enter our third year, we’re thrilled to continue bringing this beloved Filipino tradition to New Zealand - to quench the feeling of home that we miss. Through this celebration, we also aim to share the richness of Filipino cultural heritage to those who are now part of mixed-raced families as well as the rest of New Zealand, which is always welcoming of different ethnicities.
Santacruzan is a procession of women of all ages dressed in beautiful gowns and dresses carrying various symbols of virtues and attributes. The Reynas or Queens, together with their consorts represent and honour how Queen Helena of Constantinople and her son Constantine the Great, religiously searched for the True Cross which was used to crucify Jesus. In the Philippines, this is usually held on the last weekend of May to culminate the month-long Flores de Mayo (literally Flowers of May) wherein daily offerings of flowers as a devotion to the Virgin Mary are done. This year’s Santacruzan will have a special twist, it will focus on the various regions of the Philippines — the costumes, the music and dance as well as the food.
Proceeds of this event will go towards funding of our ongoing projects as well as those still to come. We have been working with community partners both here and in the Philippines, and have sponsored many successful projects to-date already. One such project is organising several New Migrants Training for Filipinos arriving in the country and offering assistance to those recently displaced from work.
PROGRAMME
Date: 24th May 2025
Time: 11:00AM to 4:00PM
Location: Mt Eden War Memorial Hall, Auckland
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The event will kick-off with a Regional Food Contest that will be spearheaded by Batang Pinoy Events NZ, followed by the Harana Singing Contest. The afternoon will conclude with the coronation of our Queens and Princesses, and the main sagala procession soon after.
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It will be another jampacked day celebrating the uniqueness of the different regions of the Philippines. Watch this space for more updates about the event.
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For now, please save the date!
EVENT PARTNERS & SPONSORS
This event will not be possible without the cooperation of, and generous endowments from the following:
EVENT PARTNERS
DIAMOND SPONSOR
PLATINUM SPONSOR
BRONZE SPONSOR
