Violin, Tárogató Program Mark 126th National Day in Budapest
Philippine Ambassador to Hungary Frank R. Cimafranca (center) takes a photo with the instrumental performers at the diplomatic reception: violin soloist Joseph Bryan Cimafranca and Hungarian wind instrumentalist József Terek who performed a combined five Filipino and three Hungarian songs, as well as one Italian musical piece, all lasting 40 minutes, at the Dorothea Hotel Budapest on Thursday, 06 June 2024 to commemorate the 126th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine independence in the Hungarian capital.
BUDAPEST 18 June 2024 – A mixed instrumental program of Filipino and Hungarian pieces was featured at the diplomatic reception organized by the Philippine Embassy in Budapest at Dorothea Hotel Budapest on Thursday, 06 June 2024 to commemorate the 126th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine independence in the Hungarian capital.
State Secretary for Bilateral Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary Boglárka Illés was the guest of honor while Hon. István Jakab, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary and Chair of the Hungary-Philippines Friendship Group, also attended the reception, together with 130 other guests, starting at the hotel’s Donau Ballroom at 15.00.
As a continuation of the events commemorating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Hungary, violin soloist Joseph Bryan Cimafranca and Hungarian wind instrumentalist József Terek performed a combined five Filipino and three Hungarian songs, as well as one Italian musical piece, all lasting 40 minutes.
Mr. Cimafranca is a Cebu-born vocalist and violinist currently under the tutelage of Maestro Joseph Esmilla and the Philippine Madrigal Singers Company of Artists, while Mr. Terek, a recipient of the Hungarian Golden Cross of Merit, serves as a cultural ambassador for the Hungarian traditional wind instrument tárogató.
In his remarks, Ambassador Frank R. Cimafranca drew the guests’ attention to the “remarkable strides” the Philippines has achieved in recent years, including the 5.8 percent growth the country is expected to achieve this year, making it the second fastest-growing economy in East Asia and the Pacific.
He also spoke of the achievements under President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos and his campaign for national transformation, "Bagong Pilipinas," specifically the ambitious and multifaceted agenda for economic growth, encompassing initiatives aimed at infrastructure development, human capital enhancement, digital transformation, and sustainable practices.
Ambassador Cimafranca also underscored the importance of national security, referring to the Philippines’ firm commitment to regional and global peace through its actions going back decades as a United Nations’ founding member and its initiative to pass the Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes at the UN General Assembly in November 1982.
“We renew our commitment to this rules-based order, not only in our immediate neighborhood in the South and East China Seas, but also in the Middle East and in Europe, even as we leave no stone unturned in seeking just and lasting solutions to the conflicts that affect us all,“ the Philippines’ top diplomat in Hungary said in his remarks.
State Secretary Illés spoke of the fast-developing relations between the Philippines and Hungary, as evidenced by the forthcoming third visit to Manila of Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, as well as Hungary’s consistent support for the Philippine candidatures in the UN and the resumption of negotiations between the European Union (EU) and the Philippines for a Free Trade Agreement.
She also mentioned how Hungary will have a role to play in advancing its Eastern Opening policy favoring Asian partners when it assumes the presidency of the Council of the European Union next month.
As part of a Southeast Asian swing from Laos, Minister Szijjártó is due to arrive in Manila on 13 June 2024, where he will lead the Hungarian side for the 8th Philippines-Hungary Political Consultations. The 7th round of Political Consultations was held in Budapest in 2022.
The guests consisted of members of the diplomatic corps, including the ambassadors of Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, and Thailand, officials of the Hungarian government, officials of academic institutions, business contacts and representatives from the private sector, the Philippine Honorary Consul in Chișinău, Mr. Victor Gaina, and members of the Filipino community, including Filipino scholars pursuing studies in Hungary.
The afternoon’s musical program started with Mr. Cimafranca performing a Cavatina by Stanley Myers, followed by Hátinggabi (Midnight) by Antonio Molina, and the traditional folk song Bahay Kubo.
Mr. Terék then performed on tarogato the Verbunk of Pest County, which he penned himself, Kállai kettős (Double Dance of Kálló) by Zoltán Kodály, and Katakataka (Wondering) by Santiago Suarez, which he arranged especially for the event.
Mr. Cimafranca rounded out the musical program with Romanian Folk Dances by Béla Bartók, Kailangan Kita ('I Need You') by Ogie Alcasid, where he sang and played the violin, and finally Bayan Ko (My Country) by Jose Corazon de Jesus and Constancio de Guzman.
There was a surprise musical number that brought together Ambassador Cimafranca, Mr. Cimafranca, Philippine Madrigal Singers Executive Director Alfred Allan D. Samonte, and Project Manager Jeff Lyle Aragon in harmonizing in acapella the 1961 Elvis Presley hit “Can't Help Falling in Love”. END
Philippine Ambassador to Hungary Frank R. Cimafranca and State Secretary for Bilateral Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary Boglárka Illés deliver their remarks at the diplomatic reception organized by the Philippine Embassy in Budapest at Dorothea Hotel Budapest on Thursday, 06 June 2024 to commemorate the 126th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine independence in the Hungarian capital.
Philippine Ambassador to Hungary Frank R. Cimafranca joined vocalist and violinist Joseph Bryan Cimafranca, who was one of the two performers at the diplomatic reception organized by the Philippine Embassy in Budapest at Dorothea Hotel Budapest on Thursday, 06 June 2024, in a surprise song number with Philippine Madrigal Singers Executive Director Alfred Allan D. Samonte, and Project Manager Jeff Lyle Aragon, who sang acapella the 1961 Elvis Presley hit “Can't Help Falling in Love”.
Philippine Ambassador to Hungary Frank R. Cimafranca (seated, center), together with Madame Lucila C. Cimafranca, poses for a photo with the officers and staff of the Philippine Embassy in Budapest at the Donau Ballroom of the Dorothea Hotel Budapest on Thursday, 06 June 2024.
Personnel of the Philippine Embassy in Budapest pose with the members of the three Filipino community organizations in Hungary (from top): Association of Filipino Students in Hungary (AFSHu), Bayanihan Filipino Association in Hungary, and Mabuhay Filipino Community in Hungary, at the Donau Ballroom of the Dorothea Hotel Budapest on Thursday, 06 June 2024.
For more information, visit https://www.budapestpe.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinHungary/.