13 June 2014 - The Philippine Embassy in Beijing, China Radio International Filipino Broadcast Section, and Peking University Filipino Studies Department, jointly organized the Philippines-China Friendship Lunch and Concert to celebrate the 13th Philippines-China Friendship Day on June 8 at the Embassy grounds.
With the theme “Hawak Kamay,” the event, featuring the sharing of food, music and games, recalled the centuries-old friendship between the Filipino and Chinese peoples, through the finest Filipino tradition of hospitality and fiestas.
In her brief remarks, Philippine Ambassador to China Erlinda Basilio expressed to the Chinese guests the Filipino people’s commitment to their centuries-old friendship with the Chinese people, and she explained that, inspired by a popular Filipino song, the Embassy chose the theme “Hawak Kamay” to convey how Filipinos will not abandon their Chinese friends in their time of need.
In his response, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Counselor Bai Tian reiterated the strength of this friendship which he said time will not weaken. In the spirit of fiestas and celebration, he sang the opening lines of the pop song “Celebrate,” and good-humoredly played with the children in their “Bring Me” game.
Filipino all-time favorite food like pork sinigang, chicken adobo, kare-kare, lumpiang shanghai, and grilled bangus were served to the Chinese guests. Desserts like majablanca and biko, served to introduce the Chinese palate to Filipino sweets, were popular and were consumed quickly.
Using Cebu Pacific’s popular onboard game “Bring Me” as the ice-breaker, the Embassy asked players to look for red shoes, to bring a “dancing mommy,” and to locate an official from the Chinese MFA. Players competed to reach for Oishi goods and candies in two rounds of pabitin, with the pabitin grid decked out in Philippine-colored ribbons. Adults huddled around the palayok for four rounds of basagan ng palayok, and ran relay matches using costumes and hullahoops. The ever-popular tug-of-war saw Filipinos and Chinese, children and adults teaming up together for more fun.
Just before the event’s closing, three Filipino bands jammed to perform the theme song “Hawak Kamay,” with children and Embassy officials joining on stage to sing with the audience.
Every guest was delighted to leave the party with a big red gift pack of goodies and snacks from Oishi. END