13 April 2015 - In line with theme “2015 Visit the Philippines Year” of the Department of Tourism (DOT), the Philippine Embassy in Mexico successfully held a tourism promotional event on April 08, which was attended by around 17 travel and tour operators in Mexico City.

Ambassador Catalino R. Dilem, Jr., in his welcome remarks, stressed the importance of strengthening tourism between the Philippines and Mexico because of its many links in terms of culture and history.  He also highlighted the many tourist destinations in the country.

DOT’s promotional videos entitled “15 Ways to Have Fun in the Philippines” and “It’s More Fun in the Philippines,” which showcase the various tourism opportunities for visitors in the country, were presented in the program.

Two resource speakers gave their testimonials about their experiences in the Philippines.  Ms. Maria Jose Pineda, Vice President for Corporate Affairs, Enterprise Risk Management Office of Cemento Mexico (CEMEX), said that the Philippines is CEMEX´s most important business partner in Asia and that Filipino culture and values contributed greatly to their successful operation in the country. She noted that Mexican executives living in the Philippines feel at home and have a positive opinion of the country and its people.    

Dra. Cristina Barron, a full-time professor at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico, shared her experiences during her four-year stint as a graduate student at the University of the Philippines and as Cultural Attaché at the Mexican Embassy in Manila. She recalled having felt at home in the Philippines in spite of its distance from Mexico. She attributed this to the cultural and historical closeness of both countries and to the warmth and friendliness of Filipinos, which she said made living in the Philippines pleasant and worthwhile. 

The program included a short cultural presentation featuring tinikling, a Tagalog song number and a fashion show of Filipino attire by the staff and their dependents. Guests were also treated to a showcase of Filipino cuisine such as adobo, pancit, lumpia, puto, biko and buko salad. END