PH Embassy in Damascus Co-Hosts Bowling Friendship Tournament with Indonesian Embassy in Celebration of 55th ASEAN Day
Philippine Chargé d' Affaires, a.i, to Syria Vida Soraya Verzosa and PHCG Wassim Nanaa join the Damascus PE and Aleppo PCG personnel during the group pictorial at the Bowling Friendship Tournament on 08 August 2022 in celebration of the 55th ASEAN Day. (Damascus PE photo)
DAMASCUS 12 August 2022 — The Philippine Embassy in Damascus, in partnership with the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Syria, hosted a Bowling Friendship Tournament on 08 August 2022, in celebration of the 55th ASEAN Day at the Damasquino Bowling Alley in Damascus, Syria.
The event was kicked off with a ceremonial roll-off by Indonesian Ambassador to Syria Wajid Fauzi, Chargé d' Affaires Vida Soraya Verzosa and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Director of the Media and Information Department Warif Al Halabi.
During his opening remarks, H.E. Fauzi welcomed and thanked the players for attending the event. He briefly explained the history and goals of ASEAN.
Officers and staff of both Embassies, as well as personnel from the Philippine Honorary Consulate General in Aleppo, led by Philippine Honorary Consul General Wassim Nanaa, participated in the event. Syrian government key officials namely, Mr. Ziad Zahir Al Deen, Director of the Consular Affairs Department, Mr. Khalid Sharaf, outgoing Director of Afro-Asian Affairs Department, General Mustafa Seifo and his family, Mrs. Dalin Fahd, Director of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, also attended as special guests.
A total of forty players, grouped into ten (10) 4-member teams, joined the tournament. A group composed of Filipino, Indonesian and Syrian players emerged as gold medalists. Indonesian Attaché Mr. Saifannur also received a medal for garnering the highest individual score during the games.
As part of gastro-diplomacy, the guests enjoyed Indonesian pastel (a type of pastry filled with chicken and vegetables), Pisang Goreng (Indonesian banana fritters), and ice coconut (a type of Indonesian cold dessert with flower essence and coconut jelly) for snacks, then Rendang (beef that is slow-cooked and braised in coconut milk) for lunch. Filipino food classics like steamed rice, Adobo (chicken stewed in soy sauce and vinegar), and Milky Melon (dessert made from melon, tapioca pearls and condensed milk) were served from the Philippine Embassy’s side.
CDA Verzosa capped off the event with closing remarks highlighting the 55th ASEAN Day’s theme, “Addressing Challenges Together (ACT),” and thanking all the senior Syrian government officials who joined and shared about the importance of sports diplomacy in strengthening bilateral relations between Philippines, Syria, and Indonesia. END
From the left: H.E. Wajid Fauzi of the Indonesian Embassy, Mrs. Warif Al Halabi of the MFAE, and CDA Vida Soraya Verzosa conduct the ceremonial roll-off to officially open the event.
From the left: Mrs. Dalin Fahd of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Post’s CDA Vida Soraya Verzosa, HE Wajid Fauzi of the Indonesian Embassy, General Seifo with his wife and daughter, and Ambassadorial spouse, Mrs. Radyanti Fauzi.
Gold medalists smile for a photo during the awarding ceremony lead by Dr. Ziad, Director of the MFAE Consular Department.
The officers and staff of both Philippine and Indonesian Embassies, management staff of the Damasquino mall and Syrian government key officials pose during the event. (Photo courtesy of Syrian Arab News Agency)
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/.