PH Cultural Day in Turkey Celebrates 121 Years of PH Independence, 70 Years of Philippines-Turkey Diplomatic Relations

Ambassador-designate to Turkey Raul S. Hernandez highlights the Philippines and Turkey's long standing friendship during the first Philippine Cultural Day at the Nazim Hikmet Kultur ve Sanat Merkezi, (Nazim Hikmet Culture and Arts Center) on 16 June 2019, a joint celebration marking the 121st Anniversary of Philippine independence and 70 years of Philippines-Turkey diplomatic relations. Joining him in launching the event in a ribbon cutting ceremony are Cankaya Municipality Deputy Mayor Lutfu Sevran (second from left), Minister and Consul General Enrque Voltaire Pingol (leftmost) and Mrs. Ana A. Hernandez (rightmost). (Ankara PE photo)

ANKARA 27 June 2019 — The first-ever Philippine Cultural Day in Turkey was successfully held at the Nazim Hikmet Kultur ve Sanat Merkezi (Nazim Hikmet Culture and Arts Center) in Ankara on 16 June 2019, in celebration of the 121st Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence and the 70 years of Philippines-Turkey diplomatic relations.

Attended by close to 300 guests, the event was held with the support of the various Filipino groups in Turkey and Ankara’s Cankaya Municipality. The celebration brought together Filipinos from all over Turkey, including Ankara, Istanbul, and Bursa, as well as Turkish and other foreign nationals.

With the aim to feature the diverse and rich culture of the Filipino nation and to promote greater awareness and understanding between Filipino and Turkish peoples, the Philippine Cultural Day showcased an exhibition of destinations and heritage sites in the country, Filipino children’s games, and the creative talents of Filipinos in Turkey with song-and-dance performances, a Turkey-inspired Filipiniana collection fashion show by Istanbul-based Filipino designer Rohan Legaspi, and a gastronomic taste of Philippine cuisine at the event’s opening and a Philippine food bazaar. The event was capped with the public screening of the Filipino indie movie, “Ekstra.”

Cankaya Deputy Mayor Lutfu Sevran graced the occasion to convey his congratulations to the Philippines and the Filipino people and to join the celebration, from the exhibition to the cultural performances, the Filipino food experience, and the film screening. END

Ambassador-designate Hernandez joins the Filipino students of Turkey (FST) and the Filipino Association for Culture and the Arts (FICASCA) as they showcase images of the Philippines like the jeepney and the sorbetes cart, as well as traditional items and food products during the first Philippine Cultural Day. (Ankara PE photo)

The Philippine cultural performances comprised of songs, dances and a fashion show of formal Filipino and Turkish-inspired evening wear during the first Philippine Cultural Day . (Ankara PE photo)

For more information, visit https://www.ankarape.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHinTurkey/.