"The event is aimed at sharing the passion for life and culture in the Philippines with people in Taiwan and gives some 8,000 Filipino workers here a chance to demonstrate their singing and dancing talents, " the Department of Labor said in a statement released Saturday.

As one of the city government's Southeast Asian Cultural Activities series, the "Philippine Sandugo Festival 2009 -- Friendship Day," will be held at 228 Peace Park in downtown Taipei on July 5, beginning at noon.

A mask parade, a Philippine traditional dance contest, a live band performance and a lucky draw competition will be among the many events featured at the carnival, and the city government has urged local residents to take part.

The Sandugo Festival is an annual event that takes place every March in the island of Bohol in the Philippines to commemorate the treaty of friendship between Datu Sikatuna, a chieftain in Bohol, and Spanish explorer Miguel Lopez de Legazpi.

The peace treaty was sealed March 16, 1565 through a blood compact.

The festival celebration usually involves a religious mass, a street parade, and a Miss Bohol beauty pageant, while official tribal dance competitions begin in July to coincide with the "Tigum Bol-anon Tibuok Kalibutan" (The People of Bohol) festival.

(By Rachel Chan)