PH Consulate General in Guangzhou Hosts Vibrant and Melodic Commemoration of Philippine Independence Day
The officers and staff of the Philippine Consulate General in Guangzhou, together with the Philippine Trade and Investment Center-Guangzhou and Philippine Tourism Office-Shanghai, poses for a group photo before the start of the program. (Guangzhou PCG photo)
GUANGZHOU 22 June 2023 – The Philippine Consulate General in Guangzhou hosted a consular reception to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine independence on 14 June 2023 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel Guangzhou. It was the first consular reception of the consulate since the last three years of the pandemic.
The event was attended by consular, business, and Filipino guests, and was graced by top officials from the local governments of Guangdong Province and Guangzhou Municipality. The guest of honor was Madame Li Xin, Vice Chair of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC-Guangdong).
In his remarks, Consul General Alferez confidently affirmed that the Philippines was again back in business after having “forged on with resilience and sacrifice” in the last three years of the pandemic. He highlighted the Philippines strong economic performance and urged China, “as a most important friend and partner”, to strengthen its cooperation with the Philippines, especially in economic matters. He emphasized the positive trajectory of the bilateral ties, particularly after the successful state visit to China of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. in January this year. Consul General Alferez also underscored the unstinting effort of the consulate to deepen concrete collaboration and people-to-people ties between the Philippines and the southern Chinese provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Hainan, and Hunan.
For her part, Madame Lix expressed hope for “more opportunities and brighter prospects for future cooperation and engagement with Philippine counterparts.” She also expressed the readiness of Guangdong to work with Post in advocating mutually beneficial cooperation.
During the event, guests were serenaded with Filipino and Chinese musical performances by The Nightingales and the Lakbai Guitar Duo. The audience were wowed by their Filipino-Mandarin rendition of Yeng Constantino’s “Ikaw”, as well as the medley of Filipino folk songs. The Nightingales are sopranos Bianca Camille Lopez-Aguila and Keiko Cressida Cayanga, while the Lakbai Guitar Duo are spouses Jennifer De Vera and Jeffrey Malazo.
At the foyer, arriving guests were greeted by a photo backdrop featuring Boracay, as well as an exhibition of paintings and figurines by Fil-Estilo and photographs by FilKam. Both Fil-Estilo and Filkam are groups of Filipino artists based in Guangdong Province. The photographs and paintings were reflections of their perspectives about their life in China and appreciation of Chinese culture. The figurines were stylized interpretations of various Filipino mythical comic book heroes and villains.
The event also featured a brief presentation by Philippine Tourism Attaché (Shanghai) Mr. Rene Reyes regarding the Department of Tourism’s new “Bisita Be My Guest” campaign.
The reception was attended by over 150 guests who were treated to Filipino dishes such as pancit, lechon, chicken and pork barbeque, lumpia, kutsinta, and cassava cake. END
Consul General Alferez and Madame Li Xin, together with other VIP guests from the provincial and municipal government and foreign affairs offices of Guangdong and Guangzhou, raise their glasses at the conclusion of the formal ceremony of the Philippine Independence Day commemoration. (Guangzhou PCG photo)
Consul General Alferez receives Madame Li and delegation at the VIP room prior to the commencement of the formal evening programme for the 125th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence and Nationhood. (Guangzhou PCG photo)
Consul General Alferez ends his remarks with a line in Mandarin expressing his fondness for Guangzhou. (Guangzhou PCG photo)
Madame Li delivers her remarks. (Guangzhou PCG photo)
Philippine Tourism Attaché Mr. Rene Reyes presents the Department of Tourism’s new campaign, “Bisita, Be My Guest”. (Guangzhou PCG photo)
The Consulate General’s evening reception is well-attended by members of the Consular Corps, officials from provincial and municipal government and foreign affairs offices of Guangdong and Guangzhou, representatives from the business sector, and members of the Filipino community. (Guangzhou PCG photo)
Members of the Consular Corps in Guangzhou expresses their best wishes to Consul General Alferez after the toast. (Guangzhou PCG photo)
The Nightingales, Bianca Camille Lopez-Aguila and Keiko Cressida Cayanga, and Lakbai Guitar Duo perform their repertoire of classic Philippine and Chinese songs during the evening’s reception. (Guangzhou PCG photo)
Lakbai Guitar Duo, spouses Jennifer De Vera and Jeffrey Malazo, performs their repertoire of Philippine folk medley at the start of the evening’s reception. (Guangzhou PCG photo)
Lakbai Guitar Duo and The Nightingales thank the guests after their set of performances. (Guangzhou PCG photo)
At the foyer, arriving guests were greeted by a photo backdrop featuring Boracay and a collection of photographs by FilKam, an organization of Filipino photographers in Guangdong. FilEstilo, a group of Filipino visual artists in Guangdong also displayed select paintings and toy figurines of Philippine mythical comic book heroes and villains custom-made by some FilEstilo members. (Guangzhou PCG photo)
Boracay photo wall at the foyer provided by the Philippine Tourism Office. (Guangzhou PCG photo)
For more information, visit https://www.guangzhoupcg.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.facebook.com/PHinGuangzhou/, https://twitter.com/PHinGuangzhou, or https://www.instagram.com/phinguangzhou/.