22 June 2015 - The Philippine Embassy in Nairobi held a Diplomatic Reception at the Zen Garden Restaurant in Nairobi in celebration of the 117th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence. Philippine Ambassador to Kenya Bayani V. Mangibin, flanked by his wife, Carmen, his daughter, Bianca and Third Secretary Francis Maynard Maleon received the guests which included the event’s Guest of Honor, Moses Lessonet, a member of the Kenyan National Assembly, around 40 Ambassadors/High Commissioners and other ranking diplomats and government officials.
In his toast remarks, Ambassador Mangibin expounded on this year’s theme of “Triumphs through Reforms, Within Nation’s Reach” by stressing on the Philippine government’s reform agenda for rapid, sustained and inclusive growth which also guides Philippines-Kenya relations. Hon. Lessonet responded by saluting the people of the Republic of the Philippines for the “continued cooperation in areas such as trade, investment and tourism, among others.”
After the toast and ceremonial cake cutting, the guests were treated to a scrumptious dinner which featured traditional Filipino staples such as pancit, chicken adobo, beef caldereta as well as popular desserts of puto and leche flan.
Ebro Africa, one of the leading media outlets in Kenya and the whole of Africa, featured the Philippines’ diplomatic reception in their show and was likewise posted on their Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts. The feature can be viewed on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7bFxwiS3yg
On June 14, the Philippine Embassy held a celebration with the Filipino community (FilCom) at the Philippine Embassy Chancery. The event included the oath-taking of the new board members of the Filipino community and an awarding ceremony honoring members of the Filipino community who have contributed to the success of the Embassy’s programs this past year and whose leadership have raised the stature of the Philippines in Kenya. The Embassy officers and staff performed a modernized version of maglalatik and itik-itik while members of the Filcom performed a song and dance numbers before party games began.
In his message, the Ambassador called upon the Filipino community to “transform themselves once again into ‘heroes’- to make this legacy of freedom and democracy a source of inspiration and strength to work together to sustain our country’s rapid, substantial and inclusive growth”. END