By Manila Bulletin

The UK revived one of its biggest public events this year after taking a pandemic hiatus. The GREAT British Festival, a celebration of all things British, kicked off at Bonifacio High Street on the last weekend of March. Under the heat of the Manila sun, UK Ambassador to the Philippines Laure Beaufils and British Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (BCCP) executive director and trustee Chris Nelson formally opened the event.

The festival featured a wide range of activities and attractions, including local acts performing some of Britain’s best music and classics, homegrown drag queens and bands performing some of the Spice Girls’ greatest hits, and Ballet Manila performing snippets from Martin Lawrance’s Romeo and Juliet, which was modernized and set in the Philippines. Actors from Bite-Sized Shakespeare also brought classics closer to the crowd that gathered in between the weekend shopping.

In a separate event to close women’s month, UK minister of state for Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan joined the launch of the Women and Girls Strategy in the country, which puts women and girls as priorities in the UK’s projects and foreign policy initiatives. The Women and Girls Strategy will support initiatives and projects aimed at promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls in the Philippines, such as improving access to education and healthcare. Trevelyan’s visit also reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to bolstering cooperation within the region through discussions on trade, investment, clean energy transition, and women’s rights with the Philippine government and civil society organizations.

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