Bermuda Day parade have been urged to be more considerate toward the entrants.

Callers to the Radio 1340 talk show said judges were wrong to give the award for the most beautiful float to the Filipino Association of Bermuda.

They said the association's float, which was decked out in the shape of a Filipino sailing boat and entitled Pearl of the Orient Seas, was not in keeping with the theme of the day, which was The Spirit of Bermuda.

And they suggested that next year, organisers of Heritage Day create additional categories for entries to the parade that are not based on the chosen theme.

Yesterday Dr. Gary Burgess, programme co-ordinator at the Ministry of Community and Cultural Affairs, admitted that the Filipino Association did not stay in keeping with the theme.

But he said their float was outstandingly beautiful and warranted the award because the group had got into the spirit of Bermuda by taking part in the day.

He said: "It is the judges' decision and we cannot tell them how to judge.

"They (the association) did not capture the theme of the day, but they did capture the spirit of the day by entering.

"People should not be complaining. At least they went to the trouble of working very hard and entering. I would urge everyone to get involved.

"It was a beautiful float and they worked through the night to complete it.

There is nothing wrong with that.'' Chairwoman of the association Evelou Mosley, who is married to a Bermudian and has children here, said she was disappointed their entry had caused controversy.

She said she got permission to enter a float that was not in keeping with the theme and was upset it had faced criticism.

She added: "There are a lot of Filipino people living in Bermuda and many have married Bermudians and have children here.

"We thought our float would show the diversity of the Island, while also educating people about our culture.

"We wanted to participate in Bermuda Day and feel a part of it. Maybe people did not appreciate what we were trying to do. That is very sad. We did not wish to cause controversy.'' Government MP Dale Butler, a keen supporter of Bermuda Day, said he was very saddened to hear people criticise entrants. And he said many of those doing the criticising probably did not even bother to get involved themselves.

He added: "I say to these people `stop being hypocritical and immature'.

"I think the critics are being narrow-minded and are losing sight of what the day is about.

"They should take responsibility and get behind their own floats. We could have had a lot more floats in the parade than we did. It's a small competition, which is meant to reflect our heritage and the people who live here.'' Critics called `narrow-minded' "Everyone should participate.'' The Bermuda Day Heritage Parade was launched on May 24, 1979, in a bid to bring the people of Bermuda together in harmony to help them respect and appreciate each other.

It's main aim is to highlight the Island's cultural heritage, involving people from all creeds, backgrounds and interests.

Dr. Burgess said about ten floats took part in this year's parade, with several more entering but failing to turn up on the day.

Award winners from this year's parade were: St. George's Community Organisation for best entry in parade: Goslings for best equestrian entry; Filipino Association of Bermuda for most beautiful entry; CedarBridge Academy for most original; Southampton Glebe School for best primary school; Dellwood Middle School for best middle school; CedarBridge Academy for best senior school; Recycling Plant for best volunteer organisation; Southampton Glebe School for most beautiful entry featuring flora and fauna; Elbow Beach Hotel for best commercial entry; Norma Nottingham for best hand drawn entry; Lionel and Kenneth Smith for best individual entry; Progressive Labour Party for most artistic float; St. George's Community Organisation for best community organisation; and Dellwood School picked up the heritage award.

Sailing into a row: The Filipino Association of Bermuda float, The Pearl of the Orient Seas, which caused waves after winning the award for the most beautiful entry in the Bermuda Day parade.