PH Tourism and Culture Highlighted in AAPI Heritage Month Panel Discussion

Deputy Chief of Mission Renato Villa (left) shares the important aspects of Philippine tourism and culture with co-panelist, former US Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas (top right) and host, Janelle So-Perkins (top bottom) (Photo from Washington DC PE)

WASHINGTON, D.C., 14 May 2021 – Philippine Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Renato Villa participated in an interactive virtual panel discussion organized by the United States Air Force and SuyoMano as part of their month-long celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month on 12 May 2021 where the audience were treated to a virtual tour of the Philippines featuring the country’s tourism destinations, food, people and culture.

Also part of the interactive discussion was former US Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas who lauded the contributions of Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and Filipinos to the United States in the past year, and likewise expressed his disappointment in the rising racially motivated incidents against Asian Americans in the United States. He also talked about his personal experiences during his time as Ambassador to the Philippines, noting the country’s beautiful islands, great food, and hardworking people.

In his brief opening message, DCM Renato Villa underscored the strong people-to-people ties between the Philippines and the United States, and the Filipino and Filipino-American community’s unwavering support to their home country during the pandemic citing that the the best Ambassadors of goodwill for the Philippines, including Filipino-Americans are the more than 10.2 million Filipinos all over the world, residing and working overseas.

Special guests in the discussion were Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo and Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez who encouraged the audience to experience the beauty of the Philippines and highlighted the Filipino bayanihan spirit, the abundance of business opportunities in various industries and the efforts to rebuild and overcome the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. END

For more information,visit https://bit.ly/3fg0fDV  and https://www.facebook.com/PHinUSA/