Giant saranggola up in Chicago sky

By by Phil Am Newscast-Podcast


Fri 17th June 2011




Chicago - Renowned Filipino American avant garde artist and Philippine ancient art and culture expert Fred DeAsis will fly a giant "saranggola" (Philippine kite) in the vicinity of the Rizal monument in Chicago on Sunday June 19 at noon time. A challenging feat that has never been done before.




The special event coincides with the 150th birth day of Philippines' national hero Dr.Jose Rizal. The kite launch is one of the many unique cultural events supported by the Philippine Consulate of Chicago for the sesquicentennial (1861-2011) celebration throughout the year.

"The origin and exact date and of the kite is not known. It is believed that kites were flown in China more than two thousand years ago. One of the favorite pass time of Filipino youngsters is kite flying. It is part of our culture. It is a year-round fun activity for the whole family in the country. It was said that Jose Rizal flew kites during his younger years," said Fred DeAsis. "I thought flying a saranggola and presenting our culture at the same time is fun and educational specially for the Filipino American youths here in America. I opted for a bold and out of ordinary event, it will be more exciting, new and different," he added.

The giant saranggola, designed and made by the artist, is not a typical Philippine kite. This is huge and is made out of carbon-fiber rods and thin sheet poly-vinyl skin for durability and strength. The kite measures 6ft wide by 14ft long, an area of 84 square feet. The kite is like a small canopy para-glider used by air-sport enthusiasts. Depending on how powerful the wind gust at the launch site, the saranggola could easily lift a small bodied man.

Fred DeAsis is one of the most prolific Filipino-American artists in America. He is well known for his traveling Kut-kut cultural art exhibits and Philippine art and culture lectures in universities and other learning institutions. He was the recipient of 2006 Filipino-American Hall of Fame and the 2007 Asian-American Hall of Fame awards for outstanding achievement of an individual in promoting arts and culture in North America. In 2008, he was given the Distinguished Citizen award by the Philippine American Cultural Foundation for his annual arts and cultural projects for the community.

Last year, he received the much coveted 2010 CFO Presidential Award from the president of the Philippines, Benigno Aquino III, for outstanding achievement and service in the field of Arts and Culture. The international award is given every two years to highly selected ndividuals and organizations for their outstanding achievements on their given field. Last years awards were presented to 24 recipients from 13 countries.

"My family is so excited to see this. I have two young boys and they love flying kites. I like to show them the giant Philippine made kite which could probably lift both of them. also to witness the historical flight," laughed Macario Valenzuela of Valparaiso, Indiana." We attended Fred's Independence Day workshop at Navy Pier last week. We enjoyed his brief cultural talk about our ancient writing system -- "baybayin" , "kut-kut" the lost art, and of course the baybayin art tattooing session. We felt he is an old friend. Fred truly is a rare breed Filipino, he showed passion and keen knowledge of Philippine art and culture. This man can deliver."

If you are around town, drop by and bring your own kite at the site. Witness the giant flag-kite floating in the sky! The event is a first ever in US and possibly in the world. Sort of history in the making.

Visit Fred's Facebook page and website for artful events and updates. He could also be contacted via email, for interest or questions on workshops and cultural events he offers.

As of this writing, the actual giant saranggola is still undergoing some technical tweaks and have not been flown outdoor for testing. The big question is will it fly or bust? If you are in town, come and see it for yourself. It will be a fun and historical weekend.