PH Embassy Caps Successful ACS Chairmanship with Fun-Filled ASEAN Family Day
Santiago 03 February 2023 — The Philippine Embassy in Chile, as outgoing Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Santiago (ACS), capped its 6-month-long Chairmanship by organizing an ASEAN Family Day and ACS Chairmanship Turnover Ceremony held at the Laguna Esmeralda, commune of Melipilla on 31 January 2023.
The activity brought together 76 ASEAN heads of posts, officials, personnel and members of their families in a highly successful day-long event filled with classic Southeast Asian dishes, games and prizes, especially for young children.
In his remarks to officially start the activity, Philippine Chargé d’Affaires a.i. Jim Tito San Agustin recalled activities held under the Philippine Embassy’s 6-month ACS Chairmanship, namely: the celebration of the 55th ASEAN Day at the Philippine Chancery; ACS’s participation in the Feria Internacional de Santiago (FISA); the ACS and SOFOFA (Federation of Chilean Industries) Business Luncheon; and the aforementioned ASEAN Family Day and ACS Chairmanship Turnover Ceremony. He also thanked the Ambassadors and Working Group Members of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam for their full support throughout the Philippines’ ACS Chairmanship.
To promote and foster camaraderie between ACS in the spirit of team sports, Consul Dennis John Briones, Cultural Officer Brian Bustamante along with other ACS Working Group Members facilitated fun-filled games for both adults and kids to enjoy, including ASEAN-themed piñatas, egg-tossing contests, non-alcoholic beer pong, sack race, circular tag as well as spoon and marble relay races. Major and minor prizes were given out to winning contestants ranging from sweet treats, school supplies, toys to fancy electronics and gadgets.
The recently held ASEAN Family Day and ACS Chairmanship Turnover Ceremony was the first post-pandemic outdoor leisure activity successfully conducted for ACS officials and members of their families in Chile. The last ASEAN Family Day was held all the way back in January 2018 likewise under the Philippines’ Chairmanship.
Current ACS Chair, Vietnam, will be chairing the Committee until the end of July 2023. END
For more information, visit https://www.manamape.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.facebook.com/PHLinBahrain or https://www.instagram.com/phlinbahrain/.