PH Embassy in Damascus Celebrates the 124th Philippine Independence Day, Hosts Art Exhibition at the Diplomatic Reception
Clockwise from top left: Philippine Chargé d' Affaires, a.i Vida Soraya Verzosa with Philippine Honorary Consul General (PHCG) Wassim Nanaa; Filipino Fiesta-themed reception; Filipino Community; and Officers and staff of the Philippine Embassy in Damascus;. (Damascus PE photo)
DAMASCUS 17 June 2022 — Philippine Embassy in Damascus, led by Philippine Chargé d' Affaires, a.i Vida Soraya Verzosa, hosted a fiesta-themed diplomatic reception at the elegant Dama Rose Hotel to celebrate the 124th Anniversary of the Philippine Independece Day.
In her welcome remarks, CDA Verzosa introduced Filipino Fiesta culture by sharing the meaning behind the vibrant and colorful Pahiyas Festival decorations from Lucban, Quezon, Taka Carabaos from Paete, Laguna, fiesta banderitas, Filipino food stalls, and a sorbetero ice cream cart that turned the Al Moutanabie Hall into a “barrio fiesta.”
She also highlighted the importance of Independence as it is “hard-won with the blood of revolutionary martyrs through hundreds of years of fighting colonial rulers.” She illustrated this through the National Heroes Art Exhibition with framed mixed media (oil pastel and watercolor) portraits of Filipino heroes who made great contributions to gain Independence from the Spanish, the Americans and the Japanese, with Arabic and English biographies.
This year’s Independence Day celebration was “one of the best receptions I’ve ever been,” according to the guest of honor, Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates (MFAE) Director of the Asia Department Khaled Sharaf who emphasized the good relationship between Syria and the Philippines that dates back to 1946. H.E. Sharaf hopes to strengthen cooperation by furthering trade relations between the two countries.
In a unique “Unity Painting Presentation Ceremony,” immediately after his speech, Minister Sharaf raised a toast, then he and CDA Vida Soraya Verzosa simultaneously painted the red portion of the Philippine and Syrian Flags on a Unity Painting created bythe Filipino-Syrian artists who won during the National Arts Month Contest held in February 2022. The artistic siblings, Mr. Omar and Ms. Shaima Al Massri, painted the two national flags crossed together, symbolizing unity, with heritage landmarks of Philippines and Syria in the background. The Al Massris then finished their “live art” performance by completing the painting on the spot.
As part of gastronomic diplomacy, guests lined up to taste a wide variety of Filipino dishes and delicacies served from hand-crafted Filipino-style food carts adorned with kiping and native hats from Lucban.
Surprising the crowd with the four-part harmony, the Filipino-Syrian Community Choir sang a rousing rendition of “Tagumpay Nating Lahat (A Victory for All)” by the award-winning composer, Gary Granada, while a tourism promotion lyric video in Arabic played in the background. The chorale group, formed as a special project of the Embassy for the National Heritage Month held last May 2022, is another historic initiative composed of Filipino, Syrian, Indian and Armenian nationals, joined by the Embassy staff. The group was trained by a professional vocal coach and music conductor Mr. Karl Garette Melegrito, who received the Message of Commendation from the President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, on the occasion of the chorale debut.
From music to movement, Filipino Community members danced the Kappa Malong Malong dance, traditionally performed to thank God for an abundant agricultural harvest, and Singkil, a royalty dance of the Maranao tribe in Mindanao. Swaying from graceful waves to bamboo rhythms, the Filipino Community and the men of Damascus PE transitioned to an action-packed demonstration of Filipino Martial Arts (Arnis/Kali).
In his closing remarks, Philippine Honorary Consul General (PHCG) Wassim Nanaa stated the similarities of Philippines and Syria and emphasized how the two countries have stood by each other, most especially in times of crisis. END
For more information, visit https://www.damascuspe.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHinSyria/, https://twitter.com/PHinSyria or https://www.instagram.com/phinsyria/.